The Mayor of Housing and the Rivers State government have tabled new reporting approach to focus on huge potentials of the state and attract investments.
The Mayor of Housing, Mr My-ACE China, who is regarded as a real estate strategist, spoke before the Rivers State Commissioner of Information & Communications, Hon Joseph Johnson, at the Dinner/Award Night of the Correspondents Chapel of the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) last weekend in Port Harcourt.
They both agreed on the need to present accurate news and information about Rivers State to the larger society.
On this, the Rivers State Commissioner of Information and Communications who represented Gov Similayi Fubara, and the Correspondents Week partner, the Major of Housing, shared same position and views on positive reportage of the state to attract investments and businesses.
In his key speech, the Commissioner commended the Correspondents’ Chapel for what he called neutrality in coverage of the current political developments in Rivers State.
He noted that the Governor is media friendly and will continue to support the Correspondents’ Chapel and other arms of the NUJ in Rivers State. He particularly cited an example of the support he said the Gov Fubara administration extended to the Rivers State Chapter of the National Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ) election which produced a national deputy chairman from Rivers State.
He noted that His Excellency Gov Siminalayi Fubara is facing one of the hurdles that are faced in leadership, but commended the Chapel for telling the story as it is.
In spite of the hurdles faced by the Governor, he went on, the People of Rivers State have shown their support which he said was seen at the flag-off of the 20,000 housing units at Mbodo Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government on Friday 15th December 2023.
The governor was to later on Tuesday December 19, 2023, at the PAMO University convocation event, admit that he is moved by the massive support he has continued to receive from the masses, and that this has encouraged him to pay any price needed for peace so he can develop the state as already conceived.
The Commissioner described Sir Fubara as a “Talk-and-Do” governor, though he may not be a very loud person but that he is a very strong” governor who is focused on delivering the mandate to his people.
“His word is like a bond and you can take that to the bank”.
On what looks like the root cause of the crisis in the state, Hon Johnson said, “Those who are copying what President Bola Tinubu did to Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos should try and copy well. When Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not want Ambode to return as Governor of Lagos, he kept quiet and waited for him to want to take second-term ticket of the party. So, if you want to copy, try and copy well”.
In his dinner talk, the Mayor of Housing agreed with the Commissioner, stating that negative presentation of events from Rivers State would hurt the economy and even hurt publishers and journalists. He reminded newsmen that they too were stakeholders in the economy and its political landscape. He thus urged them to use their pen to shape positive narrative of Rivers State.
The Mayor of Housing who had earlier in the week cried out saying ‘we are tired of negative things and failed promises’ also urged the media community to consider investing in reputation asset-building of states they cover such as Rivers and hope to also reap from it.
Mr China noted that the housing sector needs good image of the political environment to grow. He appealed to journalists to do reputation evaluation of locations where estates can be developed, saying this would attract global developers.
He also reminded those trying to tear the state down to know that profit flees to where there is stability. The investor said some climes have turned swamps into new heavens as Maroko was turned into Lekki.
“Lagos made dredgers popular in Nigeria. They looked for international partners and that is one thing I want to suggest to us today. This feat was achieved on the back of information. It was the people that knew that the government of Lagos had a plan to develop Maroko that transported this information to foreign developers; and when these foreign investors heard it and came in and the project was executed, a new city was born and the news purveyors gained too.
Thus, he stated, “Nobody knows Rivers State better than Journalists. Its high time you moved from mere participants and become stakeholders in projects and programmes that turn around the economy of your area. Apply information in strategic ways to turn things around and do it in a way that has your imprimatur on it. Stop being that kind of participant that claps for others but be a stakeholder. Add value through well-defined information that is traceable to you as the owner.”
20,000 houses:
The Mayor of Housing revealed why he adopted Gov Fubara as his governor and later as his idol. “When I heard Sir Sim Fubara declare his policy on Social Housing on day one, May 29, 2023, I fell for him immediately, and when he went ahead and awarded the contract and kickstarted initial 20,000 low-cost houses, he became my idol.
“That was also why when journalists interviewed me and asked me to analyse the 2024 federal budget in terms of housing since I am the Mayor of Housing, I said I had nothing to analyse because I did not see anything in the federal budget that would address the 32m housing deficit in Nigeria. I said it is the Rivers State budget that means something to me. So, the Governor that means anything to me for now is Sir Fubara because of his bold and direct policy in Housing and the proactive action leading to award of contract to begin construction of 20,000 low-cost houses right away.”
He said he was not excited because 20,000 houses would be built, but that when you multiple at least 40 persons that would be needed to build one house by 20,000 houses, you would hit at least 800,000 average workforce that would be involved, you marvel. He called for support for the governor to deliver on those critical projects and mandates.
In his intervention, the Corporate Communications head of Indorama Nigeria, Dr Jossy Nkwocha, who received award on behalf of Indorama and one also for himself, joined in commending the Correspondents for remaining neutral in reporting the crisis in the state.
In his welcome remarks, the chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Mr Amaechi Okonkwo, commended the Rivers State Government for restoring the tradition of supporting organs of the NUJ and for supporting the Chapel for the successful hosting of the Press Week 2023.
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