Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has confessed that the past 16 months have not been easy for him as Governor of Rivers State.
His confession comes on the heels of significant pressure during this period, trying to manage the affairs of the state as the number one citizen and facing opposition from his godfather, Nyesom Wike, and his supporters.
Governor Fubara made the confession during the inauguration of the new Judges’ Quarters, a housing facility completed by his administration for judges indigenous to Rivers State by birth or marriage, at Old GRA in Port Harcourt.
He maintained that the protection of the interests of Rivers State is paramount, above whatever personal interest anyone could hold or canvass.
He said that his administration will fully implement the recent judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the political crisis in the State.
The Governor explained: “It has not been an easy 16 months, but what is important is the interest of our State, which must be above our personal interest.
“I want to say it here, very loud and clear to everyone: the Supreme Court has given a judgement, and my administration is going to implement the judgement to its fullest. The reason is clear: It is not about me; it is about the good of this state.”
Alluding to the quantum of loss in terms of money expended in prosecuting the political crisis on both sides, the Governor described the situation as regrettable.
Such financial resources and other efforts, he said, would be more profitable if synergised and channelled towards promoting the genuine well-being and good of the State, adding that a more reassuring outcome could have been showcased.
Governor Fubara stated: “Thank God where we are today, I can assure you publicly that, any day, any time, I have not gone back on my statement: that nothing (no price) is too big to pay for peace in this state, because at the end of the day, it is about our people. It is not about me, I will leave office, but the good work that I have done will speak for me and will defend my generation.”
Commenting on the project, he stressed that it further shows his administration’s commitment to the welfare of judicial officers, explaining that his administration inherited the project and, with reports from the Ministry of Justice and some concerns from the Judiciary, it became imperative to continue with it.
The Governor said, “We give glory to God that today we have completed this project, and we are willing and ready to hand it over to the lucky judges who are going to live here so that they can perform their duties effectively.”
He emphasised the need for proper maintenance of the housing facility and the entire premises so that it can offer maximum satisfaction and assured the Executive’s readiness to provide support in that regard.
Performing the inauguration, Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, recalled how he laid the foundation stone of the project, which was initiated by the immediate past administration on 22nd May 2023, and thanked Governor Fubara for continuing and completing the project, which now represents another milestone and great accomplishment for the Rivers State Judiciary.
He added, “We are pleased with this landmark achievement, which represents the continuation of the policy of providing befitting residential accommodation for judges of Rivers State on an owner-occupier basis or monetary grounds in lieu thereof. This is backed by the Rivers State Housing Scheme for Judicial Officers Law No. 10 of 2021, passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and signed into law by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State.
“The Rivers State Government, in past years, has been at the forefront in ensuring that judges are quartered while in service, and in recent years, has gone further to allocate official quarters to judges on the basis of owner-occupier or monetary grounds of a fixed sum in lieu thereof.
“The policy of providing official accommodation for judges on an owner-occupier basis or monetary grounds in lieu thereof has greatly reduced the pressure on judicial officers who hitherto struggled to build retirement homes while in service with limited resources. Such pressure and desire to own retirement homes in the past was a major concern and had its own impact on job performance,” he added.
In her address, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Mrs Ibiwari Clapton-Ogolo, explained that the Rivers State Housing Scheme for Judicial Officers Law No. 10 of 2021 established a housing scheme for judicial officers who must be indigenes of Rivers State either by birth or marriage.
Mrs Clapton-Ogolo said, “The scheme provides for ownership of decent accommodation in the state by every judicial officer who is an indigene of Rivers State or married to an indigene of Rivers State or monetisation of the accommodation, subject to the approval of the government.
“In accordance with the above law, today, the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State will commission seven duplexes of five bedrooms, which are exquisitely furnished. Our judges deserve nothing less. I pray that these duplexes will not just be living houses for our judges, but homes where our judges will find peace and rest as they discharge their duties, as judges, to God and to men,” she added.
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