Rivers people must embrace peace to allow planned development to take place in the state
The governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has again admitted that his predecessor and the current Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, remains his principal despite the political brouhaha that recently rocked the State.
Fubara noted that at no time during the crisis did he recruit anybody to malign his principal and urged Rivers people to put the impasse behind them insisting that his administration was focused on peace and development of the state.
Fubara, who spoke at the opening of 2023/2024 legal year rededication church service at St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church in Port Harcourt on Thursday, said it was important for Rivers people to embrace the peace to allow planned development to take place in the state.
He said: “We have a mission to give you development. We also know that the devil will always come in, one way or the other, but the important thing is for us to identify it and push the devil out of our road so that we can continue.
“So, I want to thank you for your support and also say that we need peace. Everybody should just relax, and realise that we need peace for us to progress in the state, which is only possible in the atmosphere of tranquility.”
He commended Rivers people for their support and pray that they continued to give their unalloyed support to his government to succeed.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2023/2024 Legal Year, Fubara lauded the performance of Wike at the judicial sector but said more still had to be done to take the sector to the realm of self-actualisation.
He said: “Over the last eight years, the immediate past Governor, His Excellency Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory gave attention to the judiciary in the scheme of things and achieved so much to build and reposition the State’s judicial system for effective judicial services and justice delivery.
“The new court house complexes, for both state and federal courts, the automated filing system, and the improved working conditions, including the provision of vehicles, and accommodations for judicial officers, constitute significant measures from the government towards achieving judicial effectiveness and efficiency in our State.
“However, while we can all see and feel the improvements and resultant impact of these improvements on justice delivery, we must also admit that our judiciary has not yet reached the point of self-actualisation, meaning that there is still work to be done by all stakeholders since access to effective justice delivery is a shared and collective responsibility”.
Fubara said he believed that the rule of law and justice were deeply rooted in moral ethics and values for the creation of a just, secure, and egalitarian society.
He said he considered, an independent, impartial, and efficient judiciary the central key to the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and good governance.
He said: “Against this background, I wish to reiterate that my interest in the rule of law, judicial independence and effective justice in Rivers State is profound and heartfelt.
“I know that the judiciary and justice delivery system in Rivers State is still a work in progress, but we have come a long way when compared with most other States of the federation in terms of institutional infrastructure, strength, capacity and competence.
“I wish to assure you of my commitment as the head of the executive arm of our government to provide tangible support in creating a sustainable environment to secure effective judicial independence and the efficiency of justice delivery in Rivers State.
“I wish to thank you all for your invaluable services to the people of Rivers State and further implore you always to act and live by your sacred judicial oath to dispense justice to all ‘without fear or favour”.
The Governor donated N50m to launch a book titled: “History of Rivers State Judiciary, A Compendium of Personalities on the Bench.”
