PROFILE: Siminalayi Fubara: The man who may succeed Nyesom Wike

Siminalayi Fubara, born in Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State on 28 January, 1975, is an accountant and a technocrat who rose to serve as the Accountant General of Rivers State.

At birth, he was christened “Siminalayi” which, in Opobo-Ibani dialect, translates as “the poor may beget the rich”.

He is the second of five children and the first son of late Joseph Fubara, a former soldier who had an overseas training tour of duty, and late Love Fubara, a civil servant. Both late Joseph and his wife were descendants of Fubara and Jaja families of Opobo Town.

Mr Fubara enjoyed a long, meritorious career in the state civil service, gradually rising through the ranks until he was appointed the Accountant General of the state in 2020.

Career in civil service

His service career, which spanned a total of 18 years, began in 2003 when he was appointed as a classroom teacher by the Rivers State Post-Primary Schools Board, and posted to the Comprehensive High School, Alesa-Eleme. He taught there for five years and transferred his service in 2007 from the Board to the Ministry of Finance on the rank of Senior Accountant.

He was Senior Accountant before being promoted as Principal Accountant. He was later promoted as Chief Accountant, Assistant Director, Deputy Director and Director. He became Permanent Secretary, then rose to the pinnacle of his career as Accountant General.

Mr Fubara has a Master of Science Degree in Finance and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Port Harcourt Business School. He also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from Enugu State University of Science and Technology. He has a degree in Business Education with specialisation in accountancy from the former Rivers State University of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University). He attended Comprehensive Secondary School, Opobo, where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1992, and Opobo Primary School where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1986.

His professional qualifications/affiliations include Fellow of Nigeria Institute of Management (FNIM), Fellow of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (FCNA) and Fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI).

In addition to the aforementioned, he has attended several professional conferences, seminars, workshops and training programmes, including the Federal Government of Nigeria National Training Workshops on Public Finance Management at the Federal Treasury Academy, Orozo, Abuja; Rivers State Ministry of Finance Training Programme on International Public Sector Accounting Standards and Financial Euromoney Training; and Rivers State Government/Transglobal Business Solution Limited Training Workshop on Development and Performance Measurement in Rivers State Public Finance Sector.

Social life

Mr Fubara outwardly is reserved but remains socially connected to every segment of society. He belongs to several social organisations, including his alma maters both at the tertiary and secondary levels. He is highly regarded for his humanity, respect for elders and, above all, his altruism. He is also generally acknowledged for the enormous respect he has for Rivers elders and frontline leaders, irrespective of their political leanings.

This was even before his emergence as the gubernatorial flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Inclusive of his personal philanthropic efforts, his invaluable service to the community grew from earlier volunteer work to subsequently attracting government projects to, and directing personal efforts at the development of Opobo Kingdom and the entire local government area.

In recognition of his efforts, he was conferred with the prestigious traditional title of Amaopusenibo of Opobo Kingdom.

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He has also been assiduously working with local outreach groups, among them SWITCH-ON, Caregivers Humanitarian Outreach, on poverty alleviation, skills acquisition, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This has, in the past three years, spurred empowerment deliverables through which many underprivileged people have gained means of livelihood.

After a pioneer programme in 2019 and palliative efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, SWITCH-ON launched a special programme for women in October 2021 tagged Women Empowerment Programme. This was followed in July 2022 by the implementation of the Men Empowerment Programme that reached over 430 beneficiaries.

Involvement in politics

Mr Fubara’s decade-long involvement in politics has essentially been that of a staunch democrat who believes in the power of the people. This explains his unrelenting focus on the grassroots.

He is a strong member of the PDP in Rivers State.

Mr Fubara has undergone mentorship with the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and other great Rivers leaders. At one time when some party leaders in his Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area deserted the PDP, he picked up the mantle and rebuilt it, eventually becoming the party leader in the area.

His leadership brought cohesion and unity and strengthened the party in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.

He has taken his deep party loyalty and zeal across the state, following his emergence as the governorship candidate of the party for the 2023 general elections. This has served in bringing back and uniting several party heavyweights both in his local government area and across the state.

A devoted Christian, Fubara is of the Anglican faith, fortuitously growing up with the Anglican Church in Opobo Town just a few meters from his home.

In 2020, he was bestowed with the prestigious Knight of Saint Christopher (KSC) order of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria by the Evo Diocese of the Anglican Communion in recognition of his service to humanity and the Communion. He is also a sponsor and Patron of the Women Prayer Network in Opobo Town dedicated to supplicating for peace and progress of the town and its people.

Mr Fubara is married to Valerie Fubara. They are blessed with three children.