Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has assured President Bola Tinubu that peace has returned to the state after months of political crisis.
Fubara spoke on Monday in Abuja after a private meeting with Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa. He described the visit as a courtesy call and an opportunity to seek the President’s guidance following the end of the six-month emergency rule in Rivers.
“As far as I’m concerned, we have made peace. Fubara and his principal are working together,” the governor said, referring to his reconciliation with former Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara added, “Ideally, it’s proper for me to see Mr. President and to tell him that I’m back, and I’ve also resumed my responsibility as the governor of Rivers State. It’s a father-son discussion, telling him thank you, and the areas where, if at all, there should be any issue for him to guide me properly so we don’t get in any situation of crisis.”
Tinubu lifted the emergency rule on September 17, restoring the offices of the governor, deputy governor, and the House of Assembly. The measure had been imposed in March after clashes between Fubara and Wike’s loyalists crippled governance in the oil-rich state.
Meanwhile, Fubara has called for the revival of the state’s seaports, warning that their underuse is hurting the economy.
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Speaking in Port Harcourt while receiving the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Board, led by Chairman Senator Adeyeye Adedayo Clement, Fubara said Rivers had not fully benefited from the Port Harcourt and Onne seaports.
“We are blessed with the Port Harcourt and Onne seaports, but the truth is they are underutilised. Imagine if Onne Port was working at full capacity—the level of activities around Eleme, Tai, and the surrounding areas would transform the entire state’s economy,” he said.
The governor explained that expanding port operations would create jobs, attract industries, and boost tax revenue. He promised to support the NPA by tackling traffic congestion, improving security, and partnering on road repairs and drainage works.
“Most of these societal issues stem from unemployment. If activities pick up at the ports, nobody will want to be a criminal when there are genuine opportunities to make a living,” Fubara added.
Senator Clement praised the state government’s cooperation and pledged that the NPA would work to restore the ports to full capacity.