Excerpt from the remarks of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, at the inauguration of the 14.2km Obodhi–Ozochi Road and Bridge

 Today, I want to tell the world that when we left during the emergency rule, our records were there. We left over ₦300bn, and when we came back, we met about ₦600bn. Every penny we are spending is properly recorded, and evidence of it will be shown between now and the next six months. So there is no issue with what we are doing with our money or what we are doing with the money we met. At least, nobody can take away my sincerity. I am not associated with anything that has to do with fraudulent acts.

If there is one thing I can say and do—and I am even proud of—it is that nobody can associate me with anything that has to do with any bad thing.

So, your money and the record of how it is being spent are intact. We have strong projects that we are executing. Maybe the reason some persons believe that something is happening and they are not aware is that we do not believe in flagging off projects except where it is absolutely necessary. We believe in commissioning them. We do not want to spend money to flag off projects and also spend money to commission them. So let us save you the cost of flag-offs and entertainment until we are ready to tell you, “This is what we have done with your money.” Call me any day and at any time—the records are there.

Right from the time I started working in government, or the time I started taking responsibility in accounts, my records have been there. I am not talking about the immediate past administration; I am talking about previous administrati

ons before these ones. The records are there—call me any day and I will show you the records. If it comes to issues of record keeping, it is my profession. So you do not need to worry about what happens to your money. We are using your money in the interest of Rivers people. We are using it for the betterment of Rivers State. We are using it, as you are seeing here today, to deliver on the needs of our people.