… insists gov only commissioned predecessor’s projects
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has slammed the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for only commissioning projects initiated by his predecessor as part of his one-year anniversary in office.
But the state government refuted the claim, stating that some of the projects commissioned were initiated and completed by the governor, dismissing the claim by the APC as a baseless one.
The caretaker committee chairman of APC in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, in a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, berated the governor for saying that he had only spent four months in office, arguing that such a statement by the governor stood logic on its head when the same governor was celebrating 365 days in office.
He challenged the governor to show proof of any project he singlehandedly initiated and completed in 365 days, adding that the governor only completed and commissioned projects initiated by his immediate predecessor, Nyesom Wike, with whom he (Fubara) has been at loggerheads.
“I will look at the performances of first-time governors, then take a typical look at Abia State Governor. Take a critical look at Akwa Ibom and also at the Ebonyi State Governor. Take the cases of Anambra and Enugu State. Then take a look as far north as Niger State and juxtapose the achievements of Similanayi Fubara with what is going on in Rivers State.
“The Governor and his handlers have planned out activities to mark his 365 days in office, and I’m saying here categorically and stand here to be corrected that there is no one project that has been clearly initiated, followed up on, and finally completed by Governor Fubara. One cannot appropriate projects initiated by the previous administration for himself.
“Again, he rose on the plan of continuity and consolidation. So, it is also not unexpected. But the danger in what he is doing is that he doesn’t even accord one percent credit. In writing, it is called plagiarism.
“The achievement of Fubara known to me is traversing across the 23 local government areas of the state in what he dubbed Thanksgiving for his Supreme Court victory. That is his only achievement.”
Responding, Rivers State Commissioner of Information, Barrister Joseph Johnson, who described Okocha’s allegation as baseless, said the governor initiated and completed some projects, such as Etewo Ebubu Eleme Road, which was commissioned by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
He said the second section of the Andoni Ogoni Obobo Unity Road was also initiated and commissioned by the governor, while the Trans Kalabari Road was initiated and awarded by the governor to be completed in 32 months.