Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, has promised to step down from his role as governor if that is what it will require to bring lasting peace to the Niger Delta state. While speaking to AIT, the governor said, ”No sacrifice will be too big for me to pay for the success of this administration. The reason is very simple: it is not political love. It is not because I want to gain any favour from anybody. My interest and love for our dear state are genuine.”
The governor was addressing the lingering political crises in the state that led to a fallout with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now FCT minister.
Governor Fubara maintained that the interests and well-being of millions of people who voted him into office were his utmost priority, not politics.
The political climate in Rivers State has been tense since the FCT minister and the current governor fell out during a much-publicised disagreement in October 2023. A fallout that surprised many political observers and has also defied solutions even after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu intervened.
Governor Fubara also recognised the value of maturity in leadership, emphasising his self-control in the midst of a crisis despite possessing the authority to take particular measures that would have intensified hostilities.
“I am the governor. No matter what it is, there are things I could have done, and there would have been a total crisis, but the ability to restrain in the face of crisis when you have the power to do things is maturity,”he added.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo.
