Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will sustain its partnership with Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG).
Fubara gave the assurance on Wednesday when the new Managing Director of NLNG, Adeleye Falade, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt. He said continued support for NLNG and other key organisations would enhance the success of both the state and the Federal Government.
Addressing the NLNG boss, the governor stressed that the fortunes of the company are tied to that of the state and the nation. He affirmed that his administration would provide the needed backing to ensure the company’s success, noting that such progress would translate to broader national development.
“Wherever you need us to come in, please do not hesitate. You mentioned here that your predecessor just gave a handover note showcasing the level of support they received. It is not going to be different in your own case, I can assure you. I will also ensure that other units of government will liaise with you if there is anything we can do, we will do for you”.
The governor appealed to the new MD of NLNG to help the state government in reviving the good old days of the Bonny General Hospital in line with the principles guiding the company’s community relations.
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He recalled that about 20 years ago, when NLNG did not play with its community relations, the hospital was functional, but regretted that the state government had to recently spend a lot of money to revive it.
The governor said health workers struggled to be posted to the hospitals in the past because the NLNG used to pay them extra allowances for doing so.
Fubara said his government moved to reactivate the hospital after it learnt from the former Commissioner for Health that someone in desperate need of medical care died in a quack clinic in the area.
He said, “About 20 years ago, when you started, community relations was an important aspect of your ideals. You don’t play with the host communities, but lately the State Government is spending so much to revamp the General Hospital in Bonny, and I used to remember having an aunt who was a medical officer, and they were always struggling to go to Bonny. Her reasons then were that NLNG used to pay them an extra allowance.
“It was like a motivation for people to always go to Bonny, and you were also maintaining the hospital. But the then Commissioner for Health informed that the hospital was no longer functioning because we had a case where somebody was killed by a quack clinic there, and we felt very bad.
“So what is going on? Why would one go to a quack clinic when there is a General Hospital? It was on that particular point that we then realized that the hospital was not functioning, though the Government is doing everything possible to bring it back.
“So, I want to appeal. You have mentioned a few things in terms of education, youth empowerment, and skills acquisition, but we need health so that we can acquire skills and do other things. When we are done with fixing the General Hospital, I want to appeal that you can also bring in this incentive to motivate people to always come there, just like those good old days. It will send a good message to the health sector”.
While congratulating Falade on his new position, the governor commended NLNG for its competence and survival amid political issues in the country and difficult terrain.
On why NLNG has survived its operating environment, Fubara said: “And the reason is very simple. The government has no business in business; that is the truth.
“Leave the business for those people who can operate, and you do your supervisory role to ensure that there is compliance and standards are maintained, and also ensure that people with expertise are at the helm of the affairs. I think that is the reason we still record a lot of successes in NLNG”.
Earlier in his speech, Falade commended Fubara for granting them an audience despite his busy schedule, saying the company valued its critical relationship with Rivers State.
He said, “If I go back in history, I think this is the third time that Your Excellency will be meeting the leadership of NLNG, and we are grateful for always opening your door to meet with us.
“The last one was when the company approached you in January 2025 on the back of incessant vandalisation of the pipeline and how you stepped in and ensured that that situation was brought to a point where we no longer suffer the impact of those vandalisations as we used to before that time. So we are truly grateful for your support”.
The new MD said the company was committed to partnering with the state and local government and the people of Rivers to ensure economic prosperity and progress in Rivers.
He said the company, through its General Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU), invested N3bn into its school renovation programme at the end of last year.
He said, “We are doing it in phases. We have done two phases, and nine of them have been renovated in the state, and we have spent over N5bn. In the next phase, we are going after about 10 states that we are going to work on as well.
“And in the education support, we are trying to be proactive as well. We have the Bonny Vocational programme that we constantly invest in to build capacity in the Niger Delta, where people are working in our plants”.
