I Will Not Fail Rivers People, Fubara Assures

*Lauds Kalabari unity at King Princewill’s burial

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has reassured that he will not fail Rivers people as long as he remains the governor of the state with support from the people.

Governor Fubara said his administration is determined to enthrone an enviable Rivers State that satisfies the dreams and aspirations of all residents.
The governor stated this yesterday in his remarks at the funeral service in honour of late King Theophilus J.T. Princewill, the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of the Kalabari Kingdom, who was laid to rest at his Buguma Town, Asari Toru Local Government Area.

Speaking on the modus to achieve development in the state, the governor charged all residents to embrace peace, exhibit mutual harmony among themselves and meaningfully contribute to achieve designated developmental activities that will eventually benefit the state.
Fubara who thanked the wife of the former president, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, representatives of the Bayelsa State government and other prominent dignitaries for gracing the event in their numbers, lauded the Kalabari people and Ijaws for the show of unity at the event.

His words: “Let me on behalf of the government and the wonderful people of Kalabari Kingdom welcome you all to this event. As a matter of fact, kings don’t die they transit to become ancestors. So we are here to lead our monarch to join his ancestors while he waits for us, we are not coming now though.

“Let me thank the family for working together with the Kalabari ethnic group to see that this burial after years of waiting has finally come to fulfillment. I want to thank the Kalabari people for the cooperation given to every unit to ensure that this event is holding today as against every other prediction”.

He further said: “We cannot achieve peace in an environment of chaos; we cannot grow our state to our aspiration where there is trouble. We can only advance to that our dream state in a peaceful environment. So I urge every one of you to be peaceful.

It is important I say this – peace is the only instrument that can bring development. So I want to urge you, not just after the burial or the complete transition of our monarch you start fighting. Please, ensure peace even in the process that is going to commence after this moment.
Let me also assure you that we will continue to cooperate and support the Kalabari people. I want to thank every one of you, both the people on my side and the other side. We will all get there together as one. By the glory of God I will not fail Rivers people”.

Speaking with THISDAY at the event, the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general elections in the state, Tonye Cole said all the tribes in the country stood in solidarity on the unity of the state at the King’s funeral.

Cole asserted “Today is extremely important for all Kalabaris, for all Ijaws. What you are seeing here is that the king of Kalabari is being buried. In the crowd today, you see people from all parts of Kalabari Kingdom, Ijaw leaders and people from all tribes of Nigeria standing in solidarity on the unity of Rivers today.
On his part, a former presidential aspirant under the APC, Tein Jack-Rich, noted that the event united the people of the Niger Delta region.

According to Jack-Rich, “The most important action point including myself is taking advantage of the celebration to unite our dear Kalabari people, our dear Rivers State, Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.

“The king we are all here to celebrate represented the unity of the people. He was a father to all of us, he encouraged the youths, all cultural diversities given his platform to showcase the value they represent”.

The Intercontinental Youth Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Belemina Obunge, who represented the General Overseer of the Church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, admonished the people on the topic: “Don’t Wait Until You’re Late”.