Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, has said that though his administration is being sabotage from some unrelenting forces, but determined to govern the state with a sense of purpose and commitment to good governance.
The governor also assured that his legacy would not be limited to the construction of roads and bridges, but also to development of human capacity and other critical infrastructures such as health care and education in order to attract growth and development.
Fubara made this known while addressing members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors led by its President , Eze Anaba and other media executives at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The governor said though opposing forces were resolute in frustrating the efforts of his administration to service the state on a legitimate and constitutional mandate, but noted that he would not be deterred from delivering the dividends of democracy in the state.
Fubara explained that calculated attempts to scuttle the process of governance in the state were demonstrated during the celebration of his one year in office, when notable personalities invited to speak at the economic and investment summit were called not to honour the invitation but it took few courageous personalities to turn up.
He also explained that in the course of continuing with the Port Harcourt International Automobile Spare Parts and Commercial Centre the previous contractors handling the project were instigated to take the state government to court, despite the fact that his government settled and paid off the contractor, but the contractors declined to heed to the planned sabotage.
Fubara further said the land duly acquired and paid for by the Chibuike Amaechi-led administration at the Greater Port Harcourt area were being encroached by some people over ownership claims at the instance of the saboteurs of his administration.
He added that as the 20,000 housing project is ongoing, over 52 litigations were instituted against the government for frivolous claim of ownership.
Fubara noted that despite the challenges, his administration has recorded remarkable successes within one year in office and would not rest on its oars to serve the interest of the state.
“We are a government legitimately and constitutionally constituted in the state. It is our duty to carry out the function and act of governance properly, but somehow we have some issues which I won’t want to dwell on.
”But we have to move on, and moving on is where we are today. By the special grace of God we have recorded successes.
”We might not have gotten it the way it would have been if everything was fine, it takes a government that is courageous to do what we have done, ” he said.
Fubara recalled that at the inception of his administration, efforts were put in place to step up the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and money was saved which is now committed to projects that were now ongoing in the state.
The governor said his administration’s decision to execute the land mark Port Harcourt Ring Road Project, costing a whopping sum of N195 billion, of which 77 per cent of the sum amounting to N147 billion has been paid to the contractors.
”Also the Trans-Kalabari Road project, with a total cost of N225 billion, out of which 30 per cent, that is, N67 billion paid, is to improve the economic well-being of the people, ” he said.
He added that the ongoing N80 billion, Elele-Omoku road, which was in a bad shape and a death trap being embarked on by his administration, and out of which N40 billion has been paid, would help to check crime in the area and alleviate the plight of the users.
The governor also explained that projects inherited from the immediate past administration were being completed, adding that his administration has plans to revive the health and education sectors which are presently assessed as being below bench mark.
