Mr Fubara said his administration has completed 12 out of the 34 road projects and has also awarded nine more road projects valued at over N534 billion
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State says his administration inherited 34 uncompleted road projects worth over N225 billion from his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
"The facts and figures show that we inherited 34 uncompleted road projects worth over 225.279 billion naira spread across 13 local government areas of the state."
Mr Fubara disclosed this on Wednesday in Port Harcourt at a Town Hall meeting where he presented his scorecard to mark his one year in office.
Of the 34 road projects, Governor Fubara said his administration has completed 12 while others were ongoing.
"We initiated the construction of nine new road projects of our own worth N534.332 billion," he added.
"I wish to emphasise that with a combined cost of N528.6 billion, the 50.15 kilometres Port Harcourt dual-carriage Ring Road, the dualisation of Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road and the Trans-Kalabari Road projects are three most ambitious road projects ever carried out by any governor in Rivers State."
The governor said of the amount, only the N195.3 billion 50.1km Port Harcourt Ring Road project awarded to Julius Berger Plc was being funded from borrowed funds.
Others, including the most costly 12.1km all-swamp Trans-Kalabari Road awarded to Lubrik Construction Company Limited at N225 billion, are being funded from the state's "much-improved" internally generated revenue which he said has jumped from N12 billion to N28 billion monthly.
'Cesspit of crisis'
Mr Fubara served as accountant general of the oil-rich Rivers under the administration of the immediate-past Governor Wike before he became governor in May 2023.
Mr Wike, now the minister of FCT, helped Mr Fubara to become governor but the duo later fell out over the battle for the control of the political structure in the state.
"We started this journey with a bang. We were focused. We were determined to make the change we promised with a sense of urgency.
"But then, somehow, we suddenly found ourselves in the cesspit of crisis barely three months into our tenure," Mr Fubara said about his feud with Mr Wike which snowballed into an impeachment move initiated against him by pro-Wike lawmakers last October.
"It was not just an ordinary political crisis. It was a vicious existential crisis," he added.
The crisis further deteriorated leading to the collapse of the peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu after the seats of 27 pro-Wike lawmakers were declared vacant following their defection to the APC.
The legislative business of the state is currently carried out by a three-member assembly backed by Governor Fubara after a court barred the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers from parading themselves as assembly members.
"The worst is over. We have successfully defended our right and opportunity to govern," Mr Fubara declared at the ceremony, suggesting he has taken over political control of the state with the exodus of pro-Wike commissioners from his cabinet and with the governor's loyalists now in charge of the legislature.
Scorecard
Addressing the people at the meeting, Mr Fubara listed his achievements across different sectors including education, health and security and the economy.
"We inherited a State, whose economy had remained on a declining trajectory despite its growth potential, and we needed to change this negative narrative for the better," he said.
The governor said one year into his administration, the state's internally generated revenue has witnessed an "astronomical increase" from N12 billion to between N17 billion in "off-peak periods and N28 billion during the peak months."
He said his administration's commitment and strategies on safety and security are yielding results with lower crime rates in the state.
He further stated that his economic policies and programmes are attracting investors to the state based on the expression of interest he has received and that his administration has kept taxes low, frozen taxes on small businesses across the state and increased the ease of doing business by eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks.
"No request for the signing of a certificate of occupancy remains in my office beyond two days, except if I am otherwise engaged beyond two days or out of town."
On education, the governor said his administration has released billions of naira for completion of projects in public schools in the state and has released money for textbooks in public schools.
In healthcare delivery, Mr Fubara said his administration has taken several measures to reposition the sector including completing, equipping and expanding the capacity of several hospitals in the state, employing 1000 health personnel and rehabilitating 35 primary healthcare centres.
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The welfare of workers, Mr Fubara said, remains top on his priorities with regular payment of benefits.
A civil servant in the state, Anthony Egobueze, a political science lecturer at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology confirmed that Mr Fubara has implemented the promotion for civil servants in the state, an exercise he said has not been conducted in the previous eight years.
According to him, a substantial amount of money has been added to their salaries as a result of the promotion implementation.
Mr Fubara said his administration is committed to economic diversification through agriculture, and assured the people of "attracting investors to take over and revive all state-owned farms and agricultural assets and harness the huge agricultural potential of our State to enhance food security, grow our economy, create jobs and generate revenue for the government and stakeholders.
"With all sense of humility, I am proud of the progress we have made in one year. I am also confident that, although the progress may be slow, we are on the right path towards realizing our collective dreams for a better Rivers State," he said.
