We Operate Culture Of Prudence, Transparent Accounting System – Gov. Fubara

…Says state nets over N26bn revenue monthly

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that despite the challenges that confronted his Administration since his assumption of office, he has ensured that the culture of prudence and transparency is maintained.

Fubara specifically said that no matter the challenges facing his Administration, his eyes remain on the ball, and will not lose focus, adding that his Administration promised the people that the government would be for them and care for the people because the people are more important to his Administration, saying; “When you have the people, you have everything”.

He said; “It doesn’t matter the high and mighty, the number of policemen that you carry around. The people are the most important. Because the people are the ones who, in their sub-units, control people who in the end, make the decisions when the time comes.

“It is not the policemen. It is not the army. It is not the escorts. It is the people. So, our concern is how to meet the needs of the people,” Fubara enthused.

This was as he said that his Administration operates a transparent accounting system in its deployment of scarce resources in providing essential services to the people.

Governor Fubara, who stated these when he received in audience the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts in Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday, noted that when he was appointed the Accountant General in 2020, the public accounting reporting position of the State changed for the best because he understood the numbers and how to present the details.

Fubara explained that in managing the finances, he has also increased the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State, which is judiciously deployed to deliver on the core target areas of his Administration.

In his words; “As an organised Government, when we came on board, we met a very big challenge. For 11 years, there was no promotion in this State Civil Service. So, imagine a Government that inherited about 52,000 civil servants, and you want to pay them for years that they had been denied their dues.

“What we were paying before I came in was an average of N5.3billion. Let us even do 25 percent of it: it can’t be anything less than 8 points something billion that we are doing now. That was what we started paying.

“How much is our allocation? So, we needed to think outside the box. That was where we now did a rejig of our Internally Generated Revenue. And I can tell you today that in all the projects we are doing, we don’t borrow.

“We are very transparent. We are not hiding anything. That is why I boldly would say it. The least we do this period is N26billion – N27billion. The highest they were doing before was N12billion – N13billion,” he revealed.

Fubara assured that everything will be done to apply the funds in areas that will bring positive change in improving education, healthcare, and agriculture in the State.

He further said; “We will also do a few roads but the most important things are these three sectors. That is the only way we can save ourselves from this present situation of hardship. Save ourselves from the issues of societal ill: you call it cultism and others.

“Education is the only instrument we can use to fight social vices. And we need quality healthcare. You need to be alive to even drive a good car on the roads. You can imagine how much we spend on medical tourism.

“Then, agriculture: we have to ensure food security and sufficiency. We have to feed ourselves to tame hunger. So, those are the targets of this Government,” he said.

Fubara also said that the country was at a crossroads, and emphasized the need to stand on the side of truth no matter the number supporting you.

“What is important is any decision you make, you weigh it. What matters in life is, not coming on the radio or television to discuss integrity. No. Some things matter! Display evidence, public signs on your body and around you that show if you have integrity,” the Governor said.

Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Hon Bamidele Salam, said they were in the State for the first retreat of the committee.

Salam said they chose the State because of the peaceful atmosphere it presently enjoys and because of a Governor who understands what governance truly means and has never been distracted by the political crisis confronting his Administration.

He commended Governor Fubara for achieving over 26 projects in his first 100 days in office and urged him to continue to deliver dividends of democracy to Rivers people. He also encouraged Fubara to continue to anchor his Administration on peace, saying that without peace, there can never be any meaningful development in the State.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Nelson Chukwudi, said that about 36 members of the committee, their aides, and the retreat consultants were on the delegation during the visit.