Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that he would not donate his kidney or liver to anybody in orde to remain Governor.
Fubara emphasized that if giving his kidney or liver out will make him loyal to someone and remain Governor, he will not do it.
Fubara spoke against the backdrop of worsening relationship between him and his predecessor and estranged political ‘godfather’, Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, who appears unrelenting in his plots to remove Fubara from his seat as Rivers Governor.
But the Rivers Governor sneered that those antagonising his administration have continued to express frustration at seeing how firmly the affairs of State have been conducted, and the milestones achieved.
The Governor accused such people of being determined to lay hold on the soul of Rivers State to control it as their personal estate, insisting that his administration has taken it an an article of faithe to secure Rivers for the overall good of all Rivers people.
Speaking at the Inter-denominational Church Thanksgiving Service organised as part of activities marking the 64th Independence Day Celebration of Nigeria at St. Paul’s Cathedral of the Anglican Communion at Garrison Junction in Port Harcourt earlier today (Sunday, September 29), Governor Fubara declared: “I cannot give my kidney or liver to anybody. I won’t do it. If that is the only reason for me to be loyal, I will not be. But, I will not do the wrong thing. I was tiled on the side of right.”
The Governor explained that, for the record and in order to correct the wrong narrative peddled in some quarters, he signed the contractual sum of N200 billion loan papers from Zenith Bank to fund the construction of the 50.15-kilometre dual carriage Port Harcourt Ring Road as a project started by his administration.
He also announced that his administration is embarking on the construction of the actual Trans-Kalabari Road project worth N225.1billion, plus the General Hospitals together with the Psychiatric Hospital in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, among others, which nobody can lay claims to at all, disclosing that the projects are being funded without borrowing.
He said: “They even say, they don’t know what we are doing. Let me remind them, it is Fubara that signed the paper to borrow from Zenith Bank the N200billion for the construction of the Port Harcourt Ring Road. So, it is my project.
“It is Fubara that awarded the Trans-Kalabari Road that they couldn’t do. They did only a bridge from Krakrama, but I am the one doing it: the complete span, and it is N225 billion. I didn’t borrow.
“It is this same Fubara that is building a General Hospital, which I also included a Psychiatric Hospital because they will need it very soon. So, tell them that what I did in one year is what they did in 8 years.
“It is only empty container that makes noise. If God has given you opportunity, eat your plantain and keep quiet. God will continue to give us the strength to do the best for our people, without fear.”
Governor Fubara insisted that if they continue to deride the grace of God in his life, they will continue to struggle for needless public recognition or approval that depicts how much they have fallen out of grace themselves.
The Governor explained that his policy in office is not to embark on mere jamboree of groundbreaking for projects but assured that any project started will be inaugurated and actually put to public use.
Governor Fubara said: “Very soon, you will see what we are doing. It is not about doing roads to your business interest. I don’t have any business interest. Whatever I am doing, I am doing it for the people of Rivers State.
“We will not take any decision that we cannot defend. We won’t be part of anything that will bring any form of disgrace to our dear State. This State is important to us. It is the only thing that we have.
“It is the beautiful pride. That is why they are struggling, coupled with the improvement in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) we have done. That is why they are struggling, we know. But, do it with modesty, you don’t need to destroy the house.”
Fubara added: “The frustration you are seeing in their faces today is about this point we have gotten to. So, please, be strong. All the Babylonians that we are seeing today, you will not see them again.
“God has a reason for allowing the devil or the evil one to stay long. It is not that He can’t take him or take them away but He gives them time to repent. And when they continue, He will come heavily, and then, they would say, it would have been better that they had left when they had time. That will be our story in this State.
“But, you see, anybody that is making noise for recognition, it is a sign that he has lost it. By the special grace of God, I don’t need introduction. I have the name, and I am the one standing here.”
Continuing, he said: “So, please, I will beg everyone of you, God has given us this opportunity, we must safeguard it. They are the ones looking for a way to destroy it.
“They didn’t believe we will get to this point, and I can tell you I had a reason for inviting all the candidates for the local government election for this service.
“As a matter of fact, I am a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but I know that there will be election that I am conducting. So, I have to invite you to come and receive prayers. And little did I know, the Bishop gave you the prayers.
“For those of you that are going to participate in the election, please, I want the election to be peaceful, very important. When you emerge, our major concern is the people. Care for the people. We have taken Rivers State into a different driveway.”
Fubara assured Rivers people that the most difficult stage in the State’s political has been overcome, noting that most of the decisions taken by his administration may not have been popular but were necessary if the State must be protected from its detractors.
“And I tell you, with due respect my Dean, when you said our National Anthem was changed, for me, I like this new one, more especially where it says – a nation built, where no man is oppressed – it is so unique.
“And if that is where I stand, you should understand, I can’t be a party to oppressing anybody. And for the fact that I can’t be a party to oppress anybody, by the special grace of God, nobody can oppress me. Please, we need to join hands together to sustain and develop our State.
“So, don’t be scared of anything, we have gone past the most difficult stage. That is the truth, we have gone past it. A few of our decisions might not be favourable but we have to move on as a family.
“Because at this time, what is important is to protect the soul of this State. It does not belong to anyone. Rivers State is nobody’s enterprise. So, you have to stand strong and fight,” the Rivers Governor stressed.
Pointing out that one of the greatest challenges facing the State and, indeed, Nigeria, is the issue of illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism that have taken a hard toll on the national economy, insisting that such acts of economic sabotage should not be allowed to continue.
To that end, he urged traditional rulers to ensure they put a stop to such acts of sabotage happening in their domains.
He said: “The security agencies, they are doing their best. As a government, we are also planning to have a special committee to tackle this problem.
“We need to improve the level of our production. That is the only way that we can get out of this situation. The situation is bad. There are no two ways about it. But we must come together as one to support what the centre is doing, so our lives can change.
“We must protect our national treasures. The only thing we have now is this oil. Rivers and Bayelsa are the flashpoints, and because of that, it is affecting the level of production, and in turn, affecting the output and the revenue we make.
“Nigeria needs money now, the only way we can save Nigeria from this situation is increased production. Please, I am begging everyone, more especially the leaders of the most impacted local governments: Degema and Emohua. The traditional rulers that are covering these areas, you must do something about it.”
