“Fubara Marks 50th Birthday with Call for Inclusive Regional Development in the Niger Delta”
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called for a shift in how Governors of states in the Niger Delta region approach regional development and economic prosperity. Fubara emphasized the importance of moving beyond individual political interests to focus on the larger goal of achieving sustained regional integration, which will foster unity and change the region’s development trajectory.
He made the call during a meeting of the Governors of South-South States, held under the auspices of the BRACED Commission at the Bayelsa State Government House in Yenagoa on Tuesday. BRACED, an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta, aims to strengthen collaboration for regional growth.
Fubara urged his fellow governors to set aside political differences and focus on the broader regional development goals. “I want to appeal that if we have to succeed in this drive, we need to keep our political differences aside and understand that the struggle, as of today, is for posterity, for the development of our region,” he said.
The Governor also expressed disappointment over the challenges facing critical infrastructure development in the Niger Delta, particularly the long-awaited East-West Road. He noted that despite the region being the country’s economic backbone, the road’s construction had become a point of contention, requiring protests and repeated appeals to be addressed. “It is really sad that in Niger Delta, which is the economic base of this country, the construction of a road that you tagged ‘East-West Road’ could be an issue,” he lamented.
Fubara pointed out that the federal government understands the region’s needs but also highlighted that the people of Niger Delta must begin to value themselves for outsiders to take them seriously. He emphasized that the region’s development would not progress unless the people stop “playing to the gallery” and place a higher value on their own interests.
Additionally, Governor Fubara called for broader participation in regional discussions. “We need to widen the scope where other leaders of the region should be part of the discussion of the development of the region,” he stated.
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who is now the Chairman of the Forum of Governors of South-South States, read the meeting’s communique, which included support for the federal government’s tax reform bills. He urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing percentages to oil and gas derivation and called for the continuation of environmental remediation efforts in Ogoni land to include other impacted communities in the region.
The Forum also resolved to establish a structural regional security network aimed at enhancing safety and security in the region, contributing to the creation of a stable environment for economic growth.
In a light-hearted moment, the Governors of South-South States surprised Governor Fubara with a celebration for his 50th birthday during the event at the Government House in Yenagoa.
