Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd.), has vowed to restore vandalised local government secretariats and complete critical infrastructure projects across the state, emphasizing judicious use of limited resources and the need for unity and good governance.
Ibas made the pledge during an inspection of ongoing road projects, damaged council secretariats, and the newly inaugurated Bori Zonal Hospital on Friday.
The visit was part of his administration’s effort to assess the level of destruction and progress of ongoing works across the state.
The inspection included several key road projects in Khana Local Government Area such as the Nyhokhana-Kenkhana road, which links Luuwa and Baani communities, and the Zakphor-Bateem road. Other projects inspected were the internal roads and drainage system in Eleme, as well as the Eleme section of the Port Harcourt Ring Road project.
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Ibas also visited the Khana and Eleme Local Government Council Secretariats to assess the extent of damage caused by vandalism. He expressed sadness over the destruction and called on residents to protect government facilities.
The Sole Administrator said, “I think we owe the people that we are superintending over, the duty to ensure that these facilities and infrastructure are in the best order.
“We have made a commitment to fix most of the vandalised infrastructure with the limited resources that we have. It is a commitment that, I think we need to deliver to enable those who are using them to return to work.”
The retired naval officer stressed that rebuilding public trust is essential for the state’s progress. He noted that his visits to other local governments would help identify areas of urgent need and inform further action plans to restore peace and functionality.
“I think that by the time I go visiting the other local governments and see what we have on the ground, we will see how we can continue to build trust in our efforts to unite the people of Rivers State, so, that we can make this State a great state that people would want to be in,” he said.
Ibas also mentioned his earlier visit to the State House of Assembly, promising that reconstruction work there would be completed quickly to restore legislative activities. He stressed the importance of leadership at all levels in delivering quality governance.
He added, “Within the limited resources made available to the local government, I want to implore those who are managing those resources to put them to judicious use.
“The people are watching. They want to know exactly what we are doing with their money. We need to limit the damage that is being created through delivering good governance. I think, once the people are happy with what we are doing, the chances of them taking the law into their own hands will be minimised.”
Speaking on the importance of the ongoing road projects, Ibas said that roads play a major role in development and improving trade. He said proper road networks would boost the economy by making transportation of goods and services easier and faster.
“The more roads we have, the more commerce – I mean, the means of commuting becomes easy. We are trying to create wealth. Without roads, of course, sometimes, you have your produce, but before you move them to the marketplace, they are all rotten.
“But we also expect that when these roads are completed that those who are going to use them will also take care of the infrastructure,” he noted.
Ibas reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to improving infrastructure despite financial constraints and called on the people to support the government’s efforts to rebuild and move the state forward.
