Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged politicians to prioritize the needs and welfare of the people over personal or political disagreements.
The governor made this call on Tuesday during the inauguration of Okocha Road in Rumuolumeni, Obio Akpor Local Government Area (LGA). This area is notable for being the hometown of Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers State governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The event occurred amid ongoing tensions between Fubara and Wike over political dominance in the state. Despite the strained relationship, Fubara emphasized the importance of governance as a service to the people, irrespective of political differences.
Speaking during the commissioning, Fubara said, “My advice is: politics is not all about who is supporting you or who is against you. Politics should also include attending to the needs of the people. At this particular time, if I was an evil person, I would say, ‘I wouldn’t come here,’ considering the nature and the location of this place.
“But, because it is our duty in government to provide services and protect lives and property, we have to come to make sure that our people here are happy. It is not about me. It is about the government. Government should be caring. The purpose of government is to put smiles on the faces of our people.
“We needed to do everything to make sure that we were very comfortable in my own election. The people of this community are majorly visitors, and this community has a very big voting strength.
“Our supporters, at that time, approached them, spoke to them, and they saw reasons to support us in our election. So, what I am doing here today is to say ‘thank you’ for believing in us. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for also standing by us. The little we can do is to make your lives better.
This road is very significant to us because it removes tears from the faces of the people living here. It was a terrible road. The living condition here was unimaginable, but to the glory of God today, those things are now history. You can see joy on the faces of the people here. Moreover, the residents who are majorly non-indigenes are also happy.”
