The former Ambassador to South Korea and Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, His Excellency Desmond Akawor, in a scathing assessment of the current administration’s performance, has declared that development in the Oyigbo Local Government Area has ground to a halt under the stewardship of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Ambassador Akawor made these remarks on Monday during a high-profile “thank you” visit by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, to the local government area. The event served as a platform for stakeholders to voice growing frustrations regarding the perceived marginalisation of the region since the transition of power in 2023.
Addressing a captive audience, Ambassador Akawor noted that the electorate in Oyigbo had supported Governor Fubara with the explicit expectation of continuity. The hope, he suggested, was that the momentum of infrastructure and socio-economic progress established during the Wike administration would be maintained.
“Permit me to speak frankly,” Akawor stated, adopting a tone of urgent necessity. “We elected Governor Siminalayi Fubara with the expectation that Oyigbo would benefit meaningfully. However, development has stalled. We have not moved an inch forward. The only tangible benefit Oyigbo has received is a commissioner’s slot. Beyond that, nothing substantial has come to our people.”
The Ambassador further turned his attention to the reported ₦600 billion currently in the state treasury. He issued a stern warning that Oyigbo must not be excluded from the equitable distribution of these resources. Specifically, he argued that if allocations of ₦40 billion are being distributed among various interest groups, the people of Oyigbo must receive their fair share.
“We are not asking for favours; we are asking for fairness,” Akawor asserted. “Some people who do not contribute or support the process cannot continue to dominate the benefits. That cannot be allowed.”
Amidst the criticisms of the current government, the Ambassador expressed profound gratitude to the FCT Minister for his decisive actions in years past, specifically regarding the security of the region. He credited Chief Wike with “liberating” Oyigbo from the influence of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), noting that the Minister’s intervention prevented the region from remaining under the paralysis of “Monday lockdowns.”
“You restored normalcy and ensured that no Rivers person was profiled or harassed,” Akawor told the Minister. “For that alone, we are deeply grateful.”
The Ambassador concluded by reaffirming the loyalty of Oyigbo stakeholders to the “Renewed Hope” vision, signalling a unified stance among the region’s political elite against the current direction of the state’s governance.
