…Promises to remain upright no matter the challenges

…Says his administration improved IGR from N12 billion to N27billion, executes project without borrowing

…Commends Reps members for acknowledging his work, peace in Rivers

…Says RS civil servants were stagnated for 11 years without promotion

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has assured that his administration will apply funds from the state’s internally generated revenue on areas that will bring positive changes to the people.

He specifically emphasised the priority areas to include education, healthcare and agriculture adding that the effort will not preclude road infrastructure.

Governor Fubara made this known when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, led by its chairman, Hon. Bamidele Salam was on a courtesy visit to Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday.

The governor noted that deploying the resources for the well-being of the people is what is more important to his government so as to reduce hardship and other societal ills which include cultism.

“No matter the challenges we are facing today, our eyes will still be on the ball. We will not lose focus. We have promised our people that our government will be a government of the people. We care for the people as they are the most important thing to us.”

Sir Fubara revealed that his government inherited the challenges of non-promotion of the state’s civil servants for 11 years with a workforce of about 52,000 and a wage bill of over N5.3 billion, stressing that on assumption he promoted the workforce and the wage bill increased to over N8billion.

He emphasised that with the increase his administration had to also rejig the internally generated revenue mechanism and that led to an improvement from previous of between N12billion and N13billion to between N26billion and N27billion.

“What we were paying before I came in was an average of N5.3billion, let us even say 25% of it across board, it can’t be anything less than N8billion. That is what we started paying.”

“So, we have to think outside the box, and rejigged our internally generated revenue and I can tell you today that all the projects we are doing, we are not borrowing.”

“We are very transparent, we are not hiding anything. That is why I can boldly say it. The least we get this period is between N26billion and N27billion. The highest they were doing before was between the N12billion and N13billion.”

Governor Fubara restated his commitment to continue to be upright as the virtue that even led to his emergence as the governor, and further assured that his government will be prudent in the management of the state’s resources for the development of the state.

“I can boldly say without fear, nobody can take it away from me. And if there is anything that made me win this position in the heart of even those that are fighting me, it is because I was upright.”

“So, if I were upright at that time and helped me to be where I am through God, although, they say it is them, but nothing happens without God.”

“Therefore, if I could be upright then, why won’t I be more upright now? I assure you that that aspect of my life, no matter the challenges, I will not throw it to the dustbin.”

He appreciated the Committee for the honour of choosing Rivers State for the retreat as it significantly shows that Rivers State is peaceful and that the government is working.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Bamidele Salam commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for being conscious in his determination to serve the people and not being distracted by challenges.

He said the peaceful nature of the state and the governor being a driver of good governance made the Committee choose the state for the retreat to serve as a template to other states.