Isaac Samuel
Rivers Stage Governor Siminalayi Fubara declared that Rivers State had emerged from six months of emergency rule with hard lessons that must guide its future, even as he pledged renewed unity, reconciliation, and development.
In a statewide broadcast on Friday, Fubara said the emergency, imposed on March 18 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following a political crisis, was enormously challenging but ultimately restored peace and stability.
The governor commended Tinubu for brokering a peace accord between him, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, adding that all parties had agreed to bury the hatchet and embrace peace in the best interest of the state.
Fubara noted that as governor of the state he accepted to abide by the state of emergency declaration and chose to cooperate with the President and the National Assembly, guided by his conviction that no sacrifice was too great to secure peace, stability, and progress of Rivers State.
The governor said he had resisted the pressure to challenge the constitutionality of the declaration of a state of emergency, the suspension of democratic institutions, and all other actions during the emergency rule.
He said: “In the course of the six-month period, Mr. President graciously brokered the peace process with all the parties successfully. Our Leader, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and I, as your Governor, have all accepted to bury the hatchet and embrace peace and reconciliation in the best interest of our dear Rivers State.
“We believe the political crisis is now behind us and that peace and stability have once again returned to Rivers State, though not without the hard lessons learnt from the emergency rule.
“The responsibility now rests squarely on us: the Government, the State House of Assembly, political leaders and stakeholders to put aside our differences, work for the common good, and advance the interests of our people above all else. We have a duty to ensure that the peace we have all embraced remains permanent in our dear Rivers State.
-On behalf of the Government and the good people of Rivers State, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. President for his fatherly disposition and decisive interventions in resolving the political crisis and for graciously restoring full democratic governance to our State.
“Personally, I will never take Mr. President’s kindness for granted, and for that, I hereby reaffirm my utmost loyalty and eternal gratitude.
“To those who have expressed genuine fears, frustrations, and uncertainty over the nature of the peace process, I assure you that your concerns are valid and understood. However, nothing has been irretrievably lost; there remains ample opportunity for necessary adjustments, continued reconciliation, and inclusiveness. We must all remember the saying… ” the costliest peace is cheaper than the cheapest war”.
Fubara noted that his immediate responsibility is to return to the path of governance and development by completing the projects which his administration started.
“I commit to working harmoniously with the Rivers State House of Assembly to recover lost grounds and accelerate the social and economic advancement of our dear State. I also renew my pledge to serve with the fear of God, humility and a high sense of duty”, the governor said.
