By Abiola Olawale
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has subtly shaded his predecessor, the incumbent Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as he boasts that his administration has recorded numerous great strides in the state since assuming office a year ago.
This is as Fubara who appears to be referring to Wike said his one year in office is already better than those that spent eight years in office.
The governor who spoke in Ngo Town at the inauguration of the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo unity Road project located in the Andoni Local Government Area of the state said the projects executed by his administration have been impactful on the people of Rivers State.
He promised to ensure his administration carried out more infrastructural projects.
Fubara said: “Like I said the other day, we just started. We started about three or four months ago but I am very happy that if we have to assess ourselves within those three months, we have done better than people who stayed for eight years, I stand to be challenged.”
Speaking further, the Governor said his administration is ready to improve the health sector.
According to him, the health sector is the next agenda on the table of his administration.
Fubara said it was appalling that recent statistics classified the state as below the set benchmark regarding enrollments and health facilities availability.
The governor explained that the statistics, not specific to any particular administration’s lifespan, covered a period, indicating unacceptable neglect of the sector.
He, however, assured all that in the next six months, Rivers people should expect to see evidence of the significant investment that his administration has made to change the narrative.
He continued: “I was in the Nigerian Governors’ Forum meeting on Wednesday, and we were given an update from the chart on the medical position of all the states. It was in zones.
“You won’t believe that in that chart, everything that has to do with enrollment, even the level of facilities that is on the ground in that assessment, Rivers State was classified as below benchmark. It is a pity.
“It is not something that just happened in a day. It is not something that just happened during my time in government. No, no. It is a statistic collated over a while. So, it means when we tell you that our target is education, healthcare and agriculture, we didn’t make any mistake.
“We might have done other things, but those key areas have not been adequately attended to. And we promise our people this afternoon that by the special grace of God, in the next six months, there will be a total change in the health sector of Rivers State.”
The New Diplomat reports that Rivers State has been in the news for over six months over the cold war between Fubara and Wike. While the reasons for the acrimony between the duo remain top secret, some insider sources had said that Wike and Fubara had been purportedly battling for control of the oil-rich state’s resources and political machinery.
