In the midst of Rivers State’s political unrest, which has seen seven members of his cabinet quit in the previous days, Governor Siminalayi Fubara told investors on Friday that the state is not in crisis.
Fubara reminded investors that Rivers State is highly safe and secure for their investments as he flagged off 20,000 housing units in the state’s Ikwerre Local Government Area.
“Rivers State is a haven for investment. What we are doing today is to let the world know; not what you hear on the radio or what you see on the screen of television, ‘Rivers State is not safe, there is a crisis’.
“Rivers State is safe and secure for anybody anywhere to come and invest, your investment is safe in our hands,” Fubara said.
The governor also assured the people of the state that his government will take care of them and defend them, adding that his administration is not interested in fighting anybody.
“For our people, I want to assure you that our governance has nothing to do with fighting anybody. Our governance is to take care of and defend our people.
“I can assure you here that this is the beginning of our service to the people of Rivers State. It is not service to big men like me but like to the low-income people,” he said.
The unabating political crisis in the state which was ignited by the rift between Fubara and his predecessor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has seen the state House of Assembly divided.
Twenty-seven of the lawmakers – originally from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), earlier in the week, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). But the leader of another group in the Assembly Edison Ehie declared their seats vacant in the wake of the defection.
This was also as Governor Fubara demolished the Assembly complex, saying the structure which was gutted by fire two months ago was unfit.
The governor also presented the 2024 budget to the Ehie-led group at the Government House in Port Harcourt after a court had barred the Martins Amaewhule-led group who are perceived allies of Wike from using the assembly.
The latest is the wave of resignations from the state executive council which has seen a total of 7 commissioners take their leave from Fubara’s cabinet.