Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the weekend said that the ongoing political crisis in the State has not affected his focus on governance.
Fubara spoke when he hosted members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, led by its Chairman, Mike Etaba, at Government House in Port Harcourt.
The Governor declared that as long as his administration and Rivers people were concerned, the crisis was nothing significant.
Alluding to a movie he watched a long time ago, Fubara said the pressure from the unwarranted political crisis had served as an enabler to strengthen his commitment to serve the people.
He said: “As far as we are concerned, there are no political issues. I had seen a movie many years ago, entitled, ‘Devil’s Advocate.’ I believe some of you must have seen that movie too.
“One of the starring characters, Al Pacino, said pressure makes some people retreat or fail, and to others, it makes them to become focused to succeed. We have chosen to be focused under this pressure.
“That is why we are moving ahead. That is why we are making positive impact in the lives of our people. Governance is about the people. It is not about self.
“Governance is about touching the core needs of those people we are leading, and by the special grace of God, we are doing it.”
Fubara referred to the empowerment of about 3,066 Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) when he kicked-off the N4bn single digit loan scheme in conjunction with the Bank of Industry (BOI) Limited on Friday, as one way his administration was improving the socio-economic dynamics of the state.
He said: “Yesterday, by the special grace of God, we observed the credit line of over 3,066 persons empowered. You can imagine what that will do for the economy of the masses and the State.
“That is touching the lives of our people. It is not supporting them for selfish reasons. It is not giving contract because I want somebody to fight somebody in my community. No. This is empowering the economy of the masses and the State.
“Our focus is that, no matter what anybody is doing anywhere, we are not going to lose focus. We want to leave here better than we had met it. And we want to also leave here without fear of anything.”
Fubara in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, said it was more desirable for a public leader to relish in the accolades from the majority of the people.
He said: “That is what we want to hear, so that when before our children, our names are mentioned when we are no more, they will say: ‘that man is a good man’.
“We will not oppress anybody. We will not force anybody against their will. We will not intimidate anybody, because intimidation has a time it expires.
“When the time of intimidation expires, even as recorded of Pharaoh in the Bible, who intimidated the children of Israel, but it got to a time that the intimidation no longer worked.
“So, any bad thing that has a beginning, will have an end. So, that is why I said we don’t have any problem. We have put that crisis behind us. We are looking ahead.”
Fubara, who reiterated that Rivers State remained peaceful, said only a peaceful leader could evolve such atmosphere in the state.
The Governor said: “Leadership and respect in leadership is not earned by force. It is your style that brings respect and love. And what we are doing is to respect our people, and in turn, our people are giving us that support for leadership.
“So, I am happy that you are here, and when you go back, tell others your own side of the story: that Rivers State is moving forward. Forget about what you see in the social media, there is progress everywhere here. There is light everywhere.”
Fubara further told the committee members that it was normal for people to seek redress when they felt their right had been trampled upon.
But he advised them to be thorough with their investigation, fair and make their resolutions devoid of bias. (Nation)