Former Gov Peter Odili Hails Gov. Fabura As The Authentic Rivers State Political Leader

Rivers State politics getting refreshed everyday as former Governor Peter Odili endorsed Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the political leader of the state, praising him for defending the interests of the people.

Odili, who served between 1999 and 2007, stated that Fubara, having secured his electoral victory both through the ballot and the courts, is now the political leader of the oil-rich South-South state.

Odili spoke on Thursday at the commissioning of a Primary Healthcare Centre donated by his PAMO Foundation in Ndoni, his hometown in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area. APC chairman reportedly tied to a tree, beaten mercilessly by angry youths for selling palliatives meant for his LGA

He emphasized the strategic importance of Rivers State, warning that if the state sneezes, the entire nation catches cold. He urged Governor Fubara to act with this awareness in all its decision.

Assessing Fubara’s performance, Odili commended him for making significant strides in critical sectors within his first year in office, particularly focusing on the well-being of the people.

He noted that Fubara’s administration is in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda, especially in the health sector, following the recent launch of the Primary Healthcare Fellows scheme by the Federal Government. Odili encouraged the governor to maintain this alignment with the President and his policies to attract federal government attention and support to the state.

For his part the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara lamented the deplorable state of primary health care facilities in Rivers State on his assumption of office which necessitated the urgent attention given to the sector as part of his priority area.

Governor Fubara stated this on Thursday in Ndoni at the commissioning of the Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centre built and donated by the Sir Dr Peter Odili’s PAMO Educational Foundation

The governor emphasized the importance of effective health care delivery to his administration, and commended the efforts of Dr Odili in building the Comprehensive Health Centre with his personal resources even when he is out of government, describing the effort as a show of love for his people and giving back to Society.

Sir Fubara reiterated the target of his administration which is provision of quality education, healthcare services and empowerment including agriculture and human capital development

Governor Fubara noted that his administration approved the recruitment of 1000 medical doctors for the Primary Health, Hospital Management Board and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital to improve healthcare delivery in the state.

He assured the commitment of his administration to ensure that zonal hospitals in the state are put to use and noted that part of his promise to Mr. President is to work to provide critical services to the people to support his government to succeed, which his administration is currently undertaking

The governor further sent stern warning to Local Government chairmen in Rivers State working against his administration to see their disloyalty as digging their own political pits, as his administration is poised to navigate safely to a successful end, while remaining committed in the dispensation of democratic dividends to the people of Rivers people.

Sir Fubara said the tendencies of Some local government Chairmen to deliberately undermine and work against his administration will soon herald their political doom.

He said his government will continue to work in the course that God has ordained for it to make Rivers State better and the people proud at the end.

“Everyone of you who thinks you’re disrespecting me, you’ve already dug your pit. For those of you who have chosen a contrary path of political salvation, safe journey. We’ll flow in a direction that we’ll get to our destination to make our people proud”

“They said we’re clueless. If providing quality education and Healthcare services is being clueless, then we agree, but we will not do roads to our farms. We’ll not do road to please some body. It’s not about the roads and the flyovers but the people.”

Governor Fubara restated that governance is about rendering services that impact the lives of the people just as he awarded contract for the dualization of the Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ikiri-Omoku road for the benefit of the people, adding that it goes beyond building and commissioning but building for the people to use.

He urged the people of Ndoni to own up, protect and maintain the newly commissioned health center for optimal benefits, promising that the needed manpower will be provided to run the facility.

Speaking earlier, the initiator of the PAMO Educational Foundation and donor of the health facility, Sir Dr. Peter Odili eulogised the uncommon humility of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his commitment to protecting and defending Rivers people in line with the constitution.

He encouraged the governor to remain focused as he affirms Governor Fubara as the political leader of the state as the people are behind him to succeed.

Dr Odili averred that the 20-bed health centre being commissioned was informed by the need to support the State Government’s effort in reviving the Primary Health Centres in the state and the lack of such facilities across all Ndoni districts after the flood of 2020, and asked that the government take possession of the facility and run it to the benefit of the people.

In his address, the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Board, Prof. Kinikanwo Green thanked the donor for partnering with the state government to make health services available to the people, and pleaded that the governor facilitate the ongoing manpower recruitment in the health sector to enable the board to adequately run the facility.

Welcoming the governor on behalf of the Ndoni community, Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli said the commissioning of the primary Health Centre Ndoni donated to Rivers State Government by the PAMO Educational Foundation makes a profound statement and commended Governor Fubara for identifying with the donor and the community.

He noted that the people appreciated the formidable promise the governor made to Rivers people to turn Rivers State to a medical tourism and his dedication to upgrading all Primary Health care facilities in Rivers State.

Describing the facility, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health and daughter of the donor, Dr. Chidimma Adaeze Oreh, said the facility is a 20-bed health centre with capacity for 60-bed spaces.

She explained that the facility was equipped with state of the arts facilities to address health challenges in the community and other catchment areas.
She further noted that it will render essential services in antenatal, labour delivery, immunization, HIV , non communicable diseases, family planning and free Medicare for vulnerable persons.

Highlights of the event were the commissioning of the Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centre and the flag-off of the State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.