Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has scored his administration high in the past year, despite facing what he called an unprecedented political challenge in the state.
Despite the early challenges, he highlighted his achievements in infrastructure development, reporting that he inherited 34 uncompleted projects worth over 200 billion naira across various Local Government Areas.
He said some of the uncompleted projects have been completed by his administration, while others are ongoing.
Governor Fubara, who spoke during a public presentation of his account of stewardship in the past year on Wednesday, said his administration is marked by significant achievements in infrastructure, economy, education and healthcare development.
Governor Fubara reflected on the political crisis that erupted shortly after his inauguration, noting that his administration truly began active governance just four months ago.
In addition to that, Governor Fubara announced that his administration initiated nine new road projects, including the ambitious Port Harcourt Ring Road and Trans-Kalabari Road, valued at over N500 billion in total within the period under review.
He said only the Port Harcourt Ring Road is being financed through borrowed funds, with the rest funded from accumulated savings by his administration.
Governor Fubara boasted of tactfully increasing Rivers State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N12 billion to about N28 billion per month, improving the ease of doing business and reporting a decrease in crime rates.
He detailed his efforts to build investor confidence and reduce reliance on federal allocations by establishing an IGR advisory team, which he chairs.
He said the team has driven significant revenue increases, ranging from N17 billion during off-peak periods to N28 billion during peak periods.
To further bolster the economy, the Governor mentioned a N40 billion matching fund with the Bank of Industry, providing loans at a single-digit interest rate for five years.
He also expressed commitment to prompt payment of salary, which he said has increased from N5.6 billion to N8.3 billion due to a long-overdue promotion exercise of 11 years.
Governor Fubara concluded the event by unveiling his administration’s scorecard and promising to achieve even more in the coming year. He reaffirmed his goal of making Rivers State one of the best in Nigeria.
One Year Anniversary: Fubara Scores Self High, Says He Inherited #200 Billion Naira Debt
