City Crime
Prioritise Rivers’ Interest, Fubara Tells RSHA
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the other party to the Supreme Court judgment; Rivers State House of Assembly, needed to know that they are also to comply with the ruling, and do so with commitment that prioritises the interest of the State.
The Governor maintained that such resolve must engender collective action towards achieving peace in the State because it serves as the potent medium through which all the arms of Government can function properly while creating public goods that benefit everyone.
Governor Fubara, who spoke at the inauguaration of the 85-year-old Okrika Grammar School in Okrika Local Government Area on Thursday, emphasised that without an enduring peace, sustainable development will be hampered practically, while the sense of security, respect, tolerance, stability, and well-being to pursue goals will suffer.
The Governor said: “Let me thank everyone, and also say this, it is important at this stage that we all embrace peace. The Supreme Court has made its judgment, we don’t have any option than to abide by it.
“And, by the special grace of God, we have started the process. We are appealing to other parties, consider the interest of Rivers State, it is important. The only thing that we owe this State is peace and development. I am open any day, any time for total peace in our State, because if I have to govern well, there is need for peace to prevail.”
Commenting on the project, Governor Fubara recalled how the planning committee of the 20th Anniversary of the Diocese of Okrika Anglican Communion visited, and appealed to him to give the school, dilapidated for a long time, a facelift.
Governor Fubara said he considered their request on the premise of the place the school filled in history and the importance of quality education in addressing some social vices among idle and uneducated youths.
The Governor stated: “I felt the least, as a government, we can do is to uplift the standard of this school. And, it is not out of place, because it is part of our agenda. The key things in this administration’s agenda are healthcare, education and food sufficiency (agriculture).
“So, we immediately keyed into it, and to the glory of God, we are here today to unveil one of the things that we have done, even in the face of these situations confronting our administration, which we didn’t bring upon ourselves. But we give God all the glory.”
Governor Fubara assured the Anglican Church that whatever that is remaining, within the scope of what has been approved in the institution, will be completed, stressing that education has remained the bedrock of development in any society.
He added that if the key ingredients (facilities) to boost education are properly managed, crime will be reduced drastically, saying: “So, I believe that when all the facilities put in place in this school are put into full use, the level of crime, the level of criminality would definitely reduce, not just in Okrika but other neighbouring communities that will benefit from this school.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to do our best because the interest of our State is the most important thing to us. This school is being managed by the church. I believe the church would protect every facility that we have put in this place. The church should see the facility as its own. As a matter of fact, the school belongs to the church, it is not government anymore. What government is doing today is to compliment their effort.”
The Rivers State Governor assured the leadership of the Anglican Church in the area that he will send experts to assess the shore protection concerns expressed by the Bishop, and see what can be done to safeguard the surrounding land of the school from being washed away.
Governor Fubara also challenged the Old Boys of the school to be bold and courageous to take up some strategic projects, especially those they had listed in their address, including establishing a centre for computer-based examinations for external examinations.
Providing the project description, Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ovy Orluideye Chukwuma, pointed to the massive remodelling and reconstruction work achieved, which has restored the cherished glory of Okrika Grammar School to confirm the commitment of Governor Fubara to quality education of children.
He said, “The construction and equipping of Okrika Grammar School, Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State was awarded in April, 2024 to various contractors, and was duly funded to completion by the Rivers State Government under the administration of Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“The project consists of an Administrative Block, 24 Classroom Blocks, Laboratory, ICT Library Block, Assembly Hall, 100-bed Male Hostel, 100-bed Female Hostel, Kitchen and Dinning Hall, Matron’s Quarters and Sickbay, Principal’s Quarters, Senior Staff Quarters, Junior Staff Quarters, perimeter fencing, gate, generator house and power supply with extension of electricity, including solar-powered streetlights.
“There are also Vice Principal’s Quarters, sports facilities such as lawn tennis, basketball and school field. Revamping for facelift some of the old buildings such as the old dinning hall, repainting of various old structures and buildings within the premises.”
Dr Chukwuma also said: “There is road network and landscaping of about 1.8kilometers with 1.5kilometer drainage, interlocking connecting buildings, completed road pavements and parking lots, water supply to all the buildings within the compound.
“There is also furnishing and equipping of the entire 14 structures with standard students’ desks, hostel beds, quality and standard furniture, electronics such as 86 air conditioning, both inverter and 1.5 horsepower and 75 smart television sets, 60 computer sets and standard science laboratory.”
In her welcome address, Head of Local Government Administration, Okrika Local Government Area, Mrs Obianime Appollos, said the Okrika Grammar School in Okrika, established in 1940, had remained an iconic institution known for academic excellence, and thanked Governor Fubara for remodelling structures and restoring the status of the institution after years of neglect of all facilities, which demonstrates his commitment to providing quality education, investment in the future of Rivers children and improving the well-being of the people.
Speaking for the Old Boys Association, Mr Golden Iruayenama, said the years of neglect and dilapidation of structures at Okrika Grammar School were worrisome with promises to fix them never materialized until Governor Fubara changed the narrative.
Also speaking, Bishop of Diocese of Okrika Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Enoch Atuboyedia, said it will be remembered that it was when the school attained 85 years of existence that Governor Fubara, magnanimously remodelled and resuscitated Okrika Grammar School to help the shaping of the future of Rivers children, educationally.
Gunmen, who recently abducted the winner of the National Qur’anic Recitation Competition, Abdulsalam Rabi’u are demanding the sum of N30million ransom as condition for his release.
The Tide’s source recalled that the criminal elements had on Tuesday kidnapped Rabi’u along with his father and brothers near Labin Bangori in Katsina State.
Rabi’u, an indigene of Katsina State and a medical student at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria emerged winner of the competition, Hizb 60 with Tajweed, earlier held in Kebbi State.
He was kidnapped after Governor Dikko Umar Radda invited him and his father to the Government House for a special recognition ceremony.
The gunmen reportedly picked Rabi’u alongside his father and other members of his family while returning home after the ceremony.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has presented N1.188 trillion as budgetary estimate for the year 2025 to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval.
This figure is an increase from the 2024 budget of N800 billion that was presented in 2023 to the Assembly.
Governor Fubara presented the 2025 Appropriation Bill shortly after delivering his address to lawmakers at the Assembly Auditorium, Administrative Block of Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday.
He said the 2025 budget christened: “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development”, will be implemented to achieve sustainable economic growth, accelerate the development of the State, while improving the living standards of all residents in the State.
Governor Fubara explained that with the set out objectives, the 2025 budget will strengthen the capacity of the State to weather possible external shocks from the volatility of the national economy while building a resilient economy that will advance the collective development and prosperity of the people.
He said, “The total projected revenue for Rivers State for the 2025 Fiscal Year is N1,188,962,739,932.36.
Two components of the budget are constituted as follows: Recurrent Expenditure of N462,254,153,418.98; Capital Expenditure of N678,088,433,692.03; Planning Reserve of N35,688,864,931.16; and a closing balance of N12,931,287,890.1935. This gives a Recurrent/Capital Expenditure ratio of 44:56%, indicating the sincere commitment of our administration to both infrastructural and human capital development of our people and state.”
Governor Fubara said nearly N31 billion has been allocated to support interventions in agricultural development to ease the implementation of a comprehensive agriculture transformation and support programme for Rivers youths in order to significantly resolve issues of youth unemployment and poverty.
He emphasised that the commitment is also to address food insecurity in Rivers State, provide land preparation, farm inputs and extension services, including training, tractors, and access to improved seedlings and fertilizers to farmers to enhance their productivity and farm yields.
In education, Governor Fubara assured that his administration will continue to provide access to quality education at all levels, enabling Rivers children have the knowledge and skills they need to excel in their careers and contribute to the development of the State.
The Governor said, “Consequently, we have proposed to spend over N63 billion, representing 9.3% of the budget on education in fiscal year 2025. With this, we shall access all outstanding matching grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission to rehabilitate, equip and furnish dilapidated public primary and junior secondary schools, and continue to provide free basic education to our children.
“We will also rehabilitate, equip and furnish as many senior secondary schools as possible across the State, including the provision of new classrooms, perimeter fencing, water and electricity, to provide a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning to take place.
“We shall work with the school-based management boards, administrators, parents and teachers to fix our broken school system, improve enrollments, keep learners in school, promote effective teaching, and improve learning outcomes.”
Governor Fubara said with the proposed N97.750 billion for the health sector, representing 14.4% of the budget, all zonal hospitals, the upgraded neuropsychiatric hospital, and the new general hospital at Rumuigbo under reconstruction will be completed to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to the people of the State.
He also assured of rehabilitating more general hospitals, health centres across the State, ensure the procurement of essential drugs, medical supplies and equipment for effective and efficient healthcare delivery, while also providing more infrastructure to strengthen the capacity of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital for quality, effective, and efficient tertiary healthcare services.
On Road and Transport Infrastructure, Governor Fubara said over N195 billion has been earmarked to complete all ongoing road projects and initiate new ones, support and facilitate the modernization of the public transport system through necessary incentives to improve the quality of public transportation services in the State.
Governor Fubara assured that all ongoing electrification projects, including delivering transformers and replacing the generator-powered streetlights with solar energy-powered streetlights across Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas will be concluded, and restated the determination to ensure the passage of the Rivers State Electricity Market Bill to regulate and open the State’s energy sector for private sector investments in order to achieve energy security and accelerate the industrialization of Rivers State.
He said, “In Social Development and Investments, Mr Speaker, we have proposed to spend N15.4 billion for the social development subsector of our economy to advance youth and gender empowerment, jobs and wealth creation, sports development, and social inclusion.
“We will collaborate with Local Government Councils to establish youth resource and digital transformation centres to enable access to digital tools, Internet services and training programmes for our youths to become economically successful and sufficiently self-reliant.
“We will also continue to support and strengthen the capacity of State-owned sporting teams, especially Rivers United, Rivers Angels, and the Hoopers to enable them excel and win more laurels in both national, regional and international contests.”
Governor Fubara, who said the 2025 will be funded from FAAC, Internally Generated Revenue, Statutory Allocations, Mineral Funds, Valued Added Tax, Refunds/Escrow/ECA and others, explained that the 2014 budget performed excellently with IGR figure hitting N100billion increase over the 2023 figure.
In his speech, Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo, applauded Governor Fubara for recording over N100 billion increase in IGR, which shows high level of transparency and accountability in governance, with the plugging of financial leakage, adding that it is also a testament to how attractive Rivers investment climate has become.
Rt Hon Oko-Jumbo pledged the continual support of the Legislature to the Excutive to ensure that the Governor remained focused, sustain financial prudence, deliver democratic dividends, and make life better for the people.
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