Amidst impeachment proceedings against him and his deputy, Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that he remains the governor of the state.
Fubara made the declaration on Saturday night while speaking at the grand finale of the week-long 2026 NPA Port Harcourt International Polo Tournament hosted in the state capital.
The governor said: “I’m here. I’m still the governor of Rivers State, and we will continue to do what we promised the Rivers people that we would do.
“And I’m really happy that you had your tournament for one week, and the president, boldly telling the world that there was no incident; it shows that we are working and Rivers State is safe.
“That is the most important thing, and that is the basic responsibility of government. I’m here for two reasons: The first, I want the president to understand that he’s not the one that made me to attend this event.
“I’m here because of my late brother, Engineer Role, Architect Roland Cookey-Gam. Fortunately, the wife is here, and the son. I did promise I would come here to honour the memory of my late brother.
“Secondly, the president and maybe very few people that are very close to me ambushed me some days ago.
“And he said if I don’t attend this event, that he was going to stop some things he promised he was going to do for us in Rivers State. And I was in-between the devil and the deep blue sea.
“While I originally had a mind to come here for my brother, I said okay, let me use one stone and kill two birds.
“So I’m happy to support you and to assure you that it’s really unfortunate that I have to say this. Coincidentally, each time you’re having your tournament, there’s always one problem.
“In the year 2024, you were having the tournament, you came to me and I made some promises. Almighty God, that January was hell. 2025, in fact, you already know the drama we’re facing. You didn’t even bother to come near me, so I understand.
“This 2026, I thought it would have been the finest. They just landed me a love letter. So you understand.
“But that notwithstanding, we must move on. We must carry out our responsibility as government, and we must continue to support everyone who means well for Rivers State.
“So I’m here on behalf of the government and the very, very wonderful people of Rivers State to say, he’s mentioned a few things, some of your problems.
“I’m not going to support you to buy a trailer, but I will help in improving the status and place of this club. That is my promise to you this night.
“For all our guests, enjoy our state. Take home the story that it is not what you hear in social media or what they tell you in media media. Rivers State is safe.
“For me, the life and property of everybody living and doing business here is the most important thing to me. “I will not for any reason support directly or indirectly any act that will endanger the life of anyone. I made this promise here, I’ve made it severally, and I’m saying it again this night.”
Meanwhile, the Rivers State government has intervened in the boundary dispute between Okoloma (Afam) community in Oyigbo local government area and Ban-Ogoi community in Tai local government area of the state, as part of deliberate efforts to promote peaceful coexistence among communities.
To this end, the Rivers State Boundary Commission convened a meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt, with a view to establishing a technical committee to work towards resolving the long-standing land dispute between the two neighbouring communities.
Speaking at the meeting, the deputy governor and chairman of the Rivers State Boundary Commission, Professor Ngozi Nma Odu, emphasised the need for all parties to embrace peace and dialogue.
Ordu urged the communities to take a cue from the peaceful disposition of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by presenting their grievances and petitions without bitterness or rancour, in order to achieve a lasting and amicable resolution.
She expressed delight over the presence of the chairmen of Tai and Oyigbo LGAs at the meeting, describing it as a clear demonstration of the commitment of both councils to sustaining peace and harmony between the affected communities.
In their separate responses, the chairman of Oyigbo LGA Dr. Okechukwu Akara Nwaogu, and his Tai LGA counterpart, Hon.Mbakpone Okpe reaffirmed their determination to ensure that their people continue to live peacefully as neighbours.
They noted that peace remains critical to attracting development to the area and commended the Rivers State Boundary Commission for its proactive intervention in resolving the dispute between the Okoloma and Ban-Ogoi communities.
