Giving Governance a meaning, the Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s example

By Paul Deeyah

Governance is all about meeting the needs of the citizens. Good governance refers to a government that cares about the wellbeing of its people . Such a government must be anchored on the principles of equity, justice and fairness and the rule of law.

Good governance entails caring for the people’s welfare. Ensuring that they have good education, good and affordable health care, good roads, ensuring adequate security of lives and property, among others.

Hence any person who calls him or herself a leader and is incapable of providing these basic necessities for his people is not worth being in government.
The citizens need a government that will proactively respond to their social needs . They need a government that will swiftly respond to their security needs.

They need a government that will respond quickly and swiftly to emergency situations, such as fire and flood disasters and other emergencies.
The ability of a leader to respond to these situations is what makes him a true leader.

Sir Siminialayi Fubara is one of such rare leaders who is providing quality leadership and good governance to his people. He has demonstrated in every sense of the word the true example of an ideal leader or a reflection of what good governance should be.

Governor Fubara has shown clearly in most of the actions he has taken since assuming office as Governor of Rivers State that he cares about the welfare and interest of his people.

One classic example of Sir Siminialayi’s display of empathy is during the current hike in transportation caused by the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal government.

Governor Fubara was the first to provide palliative for residents of the State through the introduction of Subsidy Intervention Buses in a bid to cushion or ameliorate the hardship the fuel increase had caused them in going about their businesses.

I am yet to remember any state government that had adopted such measure for it’s indigenes todate. Lagos state government attempted to subsidize cost of transportation for its citizens by 50 and 25% , but the policy is yet to be implemented.

Today, residents of the State are enjoying the free buse services provided by the Sim government, a gesture that is unprecedented in the country.

Even the Mass transit buses promised in President Tinubu’s broadcast following Organised labour’s protest against the fuel subsidy removal would not be completely free of charge. President Tinubu had during the broadcast announced that commuters would have to pay a subsidized amount.

But in Rivers, Siminialayi Fubara is providing the buses free of charge.
This is the very example of a good leader who is giving good governance to his people.
Governor Fubara is a compassionate, empathic and a great leader with a heart of gold.

That’s why when the news of the robbery and harassment of female students in one of the Girls hostels of the Rivers State University got to him, the governor wasted no time in visiting the institution to see things himself and to empathize with the victims.

His action was considered rare by many as no previous governors had visited the university on such incident as confessed by even the students themselves.
Sim Fubara values the dignity of the human person. His visit is a wake up call on those enemies of society to know that their days are numbered

The visit was also more than just a balm of consolation but an assurance that the government cares about the welfare of students not only those of the Rivers State University but in all institutions of learning across the state and would do everything humanly possible to protect them.

For the Siminialayi Fubara that I know too well, it is bad news for those hoodlums or criminals who perpetrated such wicked act on the female students because they must surely be fished out to face justice.
Sim is a man of his word.

He has promised to get them and that he must do inorder to disuade others from carrying out similar inhuman acts in the future.
Indeed, Governor Fubara is taking good governance to the people of Rivers State, and all we need to do is to support the administration in our own very little way.

Paul Deeyah, former Director News Radio Rivers writes from Port Harcourt .