Fostering Unity and Collaboration: New Year Visits with Governor Douye Diri and Governor Siminilaye Fubara

As usual, I led a delegation to visit His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri, at his country home in Sampou to wish him a Happy New Year as we have done for the past three years and counting.

The governor had earlier paid a Christmas visit to me at my country home in Toru-Orua and I hope that this sends the right signals on tolerance, maturity, mutual understanding and forbearance that is needed in leadership.

I congratulated him again on his resounding election victory, conveyed our felicitations and prayers for the new year to him and wished him well for his second tenure.

While I was there, I was invited briefly to the courtesy visit of His Excellency, Governor Siminilaye Fubara of Rivers State. It is nice to see the return of brotherly visits among Governors in the zone which is a tradition that had been destroyed in favour of toxic and unnecessary politics of rivalry that has deprived the zone of maximum benefit and leverage nationally.

I wish the Governors of the zone well and urged them to restore excellent relationships that our people deserved among themselves.

I also joined in the call for reconciliation and peace in our sister state of Rivers and for tolerance, forgiveness and