Why I inaugurated road project, psychiatric hospital in Wike’s local govt – Fubara
Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has explained why he decided to attended the inauguration of a new road and psychiatric hospital in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
The governor recently inaugurated the Okocha road in Rumuolumeni community, where Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former governor of the stage, hails from. Wike was also the former local government chairman of the area, from 1999 to 2007.
Fubara and Wike have been locked in a conflict over control of the political structure of the state.
Speaking at the inauguration, Fubara said politics should not be about identifying supporters from non-supporters.
He said politicians should stop restricting politics and its associated benefits to satisfying private or sectional interests.
The governor said if he was a wicked fellow, he would not have attended the event.
“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,” Fubara said.
“At this 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, 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 the 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, which is why 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.”
Fubara assured that his administration will address the other requests made on behalf of the community by Chijioke Ihunwo, chairman of the LGA.
“We are not ending there. We are already at the roofing stage of what will be the first General Hospital in Obio Akpor Local Government,” the governor added.
“You also have a modern Psychiatric Hospital to address issues of mental illness, drug abuse and provide other services that will be available there.
“So, you can see that our projects are not limited to roads, but to other things that will bring better life to our people.”
