Governor Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday, publicly addressed his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, as “my Oga” for the first time since the recent conciliatory meeting brokered by President Bola Tinubu.
He also pledged to complete the 50km Port Harcourt Ring Road project by October, describing it as a key infrastructure conceived by Mr Wike, now minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Punch Newspaper reported.
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Speaking to journalists after inspecting the project, Mr Fubara reaffirmed his commitment to delivering what he described as a strategic infrastructure conceived by Mr Wike.
“This project is very important considering the person who conceived it, my Oga, the Honourable Minister. He had a very big vision. He believed that if I achieved this project in record time, people would be happy with me,” Mr Fubara said.
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“Notwithstanding whatever is happening, it is also my wish and my struggle to ensure that that wish comes through.”
The governor said the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, had assured him the project would be delivered by October if funding remains steady.
“They are still assuring us that by October, they will deliver the project. What they need is the funds, and from my own end is the push,” he said.
Mr Fubara’s remark is the first time he has publicly referred to Wike as “my Oga” since the closed-door reconciliation meeting with President Tinubu in Abuja, aimed at easing months of political tension in the oil-rich state.
After that meeting, Mr Wike told reporters he had directed members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to comply with the President’s directive.
However, he offered no details about the meeting’s outcome or exactly what the president asked the lawmakers to do.
It remains unclear whether the lawmakers, widely seen as loyal to Mr Wike, will withdraw the impeachment notice earlier issued against Mr Fubara or discontinue the suit currently before the Court of Appeal.
The Port Harcourt Ring Road, which cuts across about five local government areas, is expected to decongest traffic in the state capital, improve connectivity to industrial and residential zones, and strengthen the state’s transport network.
Mr Fubara noted the project was initially designed for completion within 36 months and said his administration would continue to provide funds to ensure steady progress despite prevailing political and economic challenges.
READ ALSO: Fubara, Wike, Rivers leaders meet Tinubu in fresh push to calm crisis
River’s political crisis
The latest development comes amid a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, marked by a power struggle between Mr Fubara and his political benefactor, Mr Wike.
Mr Fubara served as the accountant-general of Rivers under Mr Wike’s administration as governor, before being backed by him to succeed him in 2023.
Their relationship later deteriorated, triggering a fierce political standoff involving the state assembly and different political parties.
While the recent presidential intervention signalled a possible thaw, uncertainty persists over whether the fragile truce will hold.
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