Former Rivers State governor, Dr Peter Odili, has told the incumbent governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, that he is the political leader of the state.
Odili said this yesterday at the commissioning of Comprehensive Primary Health Centre, Ndoni, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of the state.
The facility was built and donated to the Rivers State government by the Pamo Educational Foundation (PEF), founded by Odili and his family.
The former governor said, “Thanks for standing up to defend the interest of all Rivers people. We are proud of you. Politics is over; it is now time for governance. You have hit the ground running.
“Your government is aligning correctly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s government, especially in the areas of education, agriculture and now health sector. Our people said I should tell you to stand with the president and align with his positive policies and link the people of Rivers State with the centre.
“They have asked me to tell you that you are the political leader of Rivers State. Rivers’ people say where you go, they will go with you; where you stand, they will stand with you. Don‘t look back, stay focused, knowing that your people are behind you.’’
Odili said he was moved to construct the health centre after noticing that there had not been any of such facility in Ndoni district in the past three years.
While commissioning the facility, Governor Fubara commended Odili for completing the project that would be of great benefit to the people of Ndoni community.
He said: “It is an honour to be part of this historic event. Dr. Peter Odili is a private man who has returned what God has done to him. He used his resources and not government resources to build such facility for his people of Ndoni.’’
In his welcome remarks, a community leader, Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), said the event showed that it would take a public-private synergy to revamp the health sector, especially in the rural areas.
Enebeli, who expressed the gratitude of the people of Ndoni community to Fubara for the visit, thanked the governor for appointing a daughter of the area, Dr Adaeze Oreh, as the commissioner for health.