11th April, 2024
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili has endorsed Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the political leader of the state amidst the political feud between him and Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory.
He endorsed the governor on Thursday during the commissioning of a Primary Healthcare Centre donated by his PAMO Foundation in his hometown of Ndoni in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area.
Odili hailed Fubara for defending the interests of the people above the interest of few.
Odili urged Fubara to act with the awareness that the state is strategically important to the country because of the natural resources in the state.
He emphasised that if the state sneezes, the entire nation catches a cold, stressing that the state is very important to the nation’s development.
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.
In his response, the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara ordered contractors handling various levels of work at the zonal hospitals in the State to return to site.
The governor said the measure is in furtherance with his administration commitment to ensure effective healthcare services delivered to the people at all the levels.
Fubara explained that he had to increase the quota of employment of health personnel into the health sector to 1000 people because the initial 200 quota allocation he met on assumption of duty was grossly inadequate to meeting the prevailing needs in the sector.
Also, governor Fubara said over 340 primary healthcare facilities in the State were operating below capacity but his administration is rehabilitating and upgrading them for optimal operations.
“But I’m happy with the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board has said here today.
“On assumption of office it was different from what we’re recorded, giving hope to the people. We’re not going to stop improving that sector every day, by the special grace of God.
“We’ve gone further to improve our healthcare services by promising our people not just promising, but ensuring that we’ll see it through, that all the zonal hospitals must be put back to function.
“We have invited all the contractors that were awarded those jobs. We have asked them to return back to site. So that those facility will function to provide services to our people.
“The Executive Secretary mentioned about employment. When we came on board, the number I saw allocated to you was 200. But I’ve given you 1000 medical doctors. That is will tell you that we place importance on healthcare service for our society.”