Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has emphasised that politics should prioritise the needs of the people over personal or sectional interests, regardless of political loyalty.
Fubara made this remark during the inauguration of Okocha Road in Rumuolumeni, Obio Akpor LGA—a region associated with Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers and current minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Obio Akpor LGA, where Wike served as chairman from 1999 to 2007, has been at the centre of the political rift between Fubara and Wike over control of the state’s political structure.
Despite this, Fubara reiterated his administration’s commitment to serving all communities in Rivers State, irrespective of political affiliations.
“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.”
