Meet the new governors of Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River and Rivers states
Aside from coming from Niger Delta states, Bassey Edet Otu, Umo Eno, Sir Siminalayi Fubara and Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, were neither born on the same day or by the same parents, but they share so many things in common, GbaramatuVoice reports.
First, they are politicians and belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They all contested governorship positions in the four respective states where gubernatorial elections where conducted on Saturday March 18, 2023. The four of them won their various states and were on Saturday May 29, 2023 sworn in as governors.
Today, Bassey Edet Out is the Executive Governor of Cross River while Umo Eno is Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom states. On their part, Sir Siminalayi Fubara will be at the helm of affairs in Rivers state as Governor while Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, his counterpart will be in charge as governor of the crude-oil rich Delta state.
For a better understanding of this report, Niger Delta region also known as the South South geo-political zone is made up of six (6) states. Governorship elections was held in four out of the six states because the remaining enjoys what is referred to as “staggered election” –meaning that their elections will be coming at later dates.
1. Bassey Edet Otu, Executive Governor of Cross River state
Going by available information, Bassey Edet Otu, Executive Governor of Cross River State, is a former Senator who represented Cross-River South Senatorial district .
Born on October 18, 1959 in Adiabio, Odukpani Local Government area of Cross River State. he spent most of his childhood between Calabar and Jos, Plateau State. He graduated from the University of Calabar with a Bachelor’s degree from the faculty of Social Sciences. He had a career in the banking and petroleum sector before switching to politics.
Otu started his political career in 2003 when he was elected as the Member of the House of Representatives, representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency and was reelected in April 2007. Within this period (2003-2011), he was Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Vice Chairman, House Committee on National Population and member of committees on Power, Ministry of Niger Delta, Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Inter-Intra Party Relations, Environment, Water Resources and Defense.
The 64-year-old also served as Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream). In this role, he led work on a draft amendment bill that repositioned the Petroleum Technology Development Fund as a more effective vehicle to develop local content in the oil and gas industry.
In 2011, Otu was elected as Senator representing Cross River Southern Senatorial District. As a Senator, he was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance and later Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking and other financial Institutions; he was also a member, Committee on Navy, Power, Petroleum and Water Resources.
In 2018, Otu was appointed into the board of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by President Muhamadu Buhari.
He is happily married to Eyoanwan Bassey Otu and the marriage is blessed with children.
Otu emerged as winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Cross River with a total of 258,619 ahead of Sandy Ojang Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 179,636.
2. Umo Eno, Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom state
On his part, Umo Eno, Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom state is the lead pastor and founder of the All Nations Christian Ministry International who became the first clergy in Akwa Ibom State to become a governor.
Eno was born on May 10, 1964 in Ikot Ekpene, Nsit-Ubium Akwa Ibom state. He started his early education in Lagos State in Local Authority primary school then left to Akwa Ibom for his secondary education at St Francis Secondary School in Eket but returned back to Lagos for the completion of his education at Victory High school Ikeja.
For his higher education Eno got his bachelor’s degree in Public administration from the University of Uyo and also a postgraduate degree with the same course in the University.
Before he joined politics he worked in Union Bank for many years, then moved to Bertola Machine tool Nigeria Limited and later Norman Holdings Limited. After years of service to these organisations, he decided to set up his own business – Royalty Group.
On January 4, 2021 he was appointed by Emmanuel Udom, the Akwa Ibom State governor as a member of the executive council. Umo was given the portfolio of Commissioner of Land and Water Resources.
As commissioner he was able to recover lands through the Land Acquisition Recovery Committee from those who come to the government to buy without working on it, especially in the industrial parks. He successfully compensated those whose land had been acquired by the government and used for government projects. He decentralised the issuance of certificate of occupancy (C of O) that had prevented investors from investing in the state.
In February 2022 Umo became the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 Governorship race after clinching 993 votes in the party primaries. Umo has been married to his beloved wife Patience Umo Eno for the past 35 years.
Siminalayi Fubara, Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom state
In a related development, Sir Siminalayi FubaraSir Siminalayi Fubara, of River state was born in Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro local government area of Rivers State on 28th January 1975, an accountant and a technocrat who rose to serve as the Accountant General of Rivers State.
At birth, he was christened ‘Siminalayi’ which, in Opobo-Ibani dialect, translates as ‘the poor may beget the rich’. He is the second of five children and the first son of late Elder Joseph Fubara, a former soldier who had overseas training tour of duty, and late Mrs. Love Joseph Fubara, a civil servant. Both late Joseph and his wife were descendants of Fubara and Jaja families of Opobo Town.
Fubara enjoyed a long, meritorious career in the state civil service, gradually rising through the ranks until he was appointed the Accountant General of the state in 2020. His service career which spanned a total of 18 years began in 2003 when he was appointed as a classroom teacher by the Rivers State Post-Primary Schools Board, and posted to the Comprehensive High School, Alesa-Eleme. He taught there for five years and transferred his service in 2007 from the Board to the Ministry of Finance on the rank of Senior Accountant. He was Senior Accountant before being promoted as Principal Accountant. He was later promoted as Chief Accountant, Assistant Director, Deputy Director and Director. He became Permanent Secretary, then rose to the pinnacle of his career as Accountant General.
Fubara has a Master of Science Degree in Finance and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Port Harcourt Business School. He also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from Enugu State University of Science and Technology. He has a degree in Business Education with specialization in Accountancy from the former Rivers State University of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University). He attended Comprehensive Secondary School, Opobo, obtaining the West African School Certificate in 1992, and Opobo Primary School where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1986.
His professional qualifications/affiliations include Fellow of Nigeria Institute of Management (FNIM), Fellow of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (FCNA) and Fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI).
In addition to the aforementioned, he has attended several professional conferences, seminars, workshops and training programmes. These include Federal Government of Nigeria National Training Workshops on Public Finance Management at the Federal Treasury Academy, Orozo, Abuja; Rivers State Ministry of Finance Training Programme on International Public Sector Accounting Standards and Financial Euromoney Training; and Rivers State Government/Transglobal Business Solution Limited Training Workshop on Development and Performance Measurement in Rivers State Public Finance Sector.
Sir Fubara outwardly is reserved but remains socially connected to every segment of society. He belongs to several social organizations, including his alma maters both at the tertiary and secondary levels. He is highly regarded for his humanity, respect for elders and, above all, his altruism. He is also generally acknowledged for the enormous respect he has for Rivers Elders and frontline leaders irrespective of their political leanings. This was even before his emergence as the gubernatorial flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Inclusive of his personal philanthropic efforts, his invaluable service to the community grew from earlier volunteer work to subsequently attracting government projects to, and directing personal efforts at the development of Opobo Kingdom and the entire local government area. In recognition of his efforts, he was conferred with the prestigious traditional title of Amaopusenibo of Opobo Kingdom. He has also been assiduously working with local outreach groups, among them SWITCH-ON, Caregivers Humanitarian Outreach, on poverty alleviation, skills acquisition, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This has, in the past three years, spurred empowerment deliverables through which many underprivileged people have gained means of livelihood. After a pioneer programme in 2019 and palliative efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, SWITCH-ON launched a special programme for women in October 2021 tagged Women Empowerment Programme. This was followed in July 2022 by the implementation of the Men Empowerment Programme that reached over 430 beneficiaries.
Sir Fubara’s decade-long involvement in politics has essentially been that of a staunch democrat who believes in the power of the people. This explains his unrelenting focus on the grassroots. He is a strong member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State. Fubara has undergone mentorship with Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and other great Rivers leaders. At one time when some party leaders in his local government area (LGA) deserted the party, he picked up the mantle and rebuilt it, eventually becoming the LGA party leader.
His leadership brought cohesion and unity and strengthened the party in the LGA. He has taken his deep party loyalty and zeal across the state following his emergence as the gubernatorial candidate of the party for the 2023 general elections. This has served in bringing back and uniting several party heavyweights both in his LGA and across the state.
A devoted Christian, Fubara is of the Anglican faith, fortuitously growing up with the Anglican Church in Opobo Town just a few meters from his home. In 2020, he was bestowed with the prestigious Knight of Saint Christopher (KSC) order of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria by the Evo Diocese of the Anglican Communion in recognition of his service to humanity and the Communion. He is also a sponsor and Patron of the Women Prayer Network in Opobo Town dedicated to supplicating for peace and progress of the town and its people. Sir Fubara is married to Mrs. Valerie Fubara. They are blessed with three children.
Sheriff Oborevwori, Executive Governor of Delta state
Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori (JP) was born on 19th of June 1963 to the family of Chief Samuel Oborevwori of Osubi in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
He completed his basic education at Alegbo Primary School, Effurun and later obtained his WASSC at Oghareki Grammar School, Oghareki. Thereafter, he earned a B.Sc. degree in Political Science from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and also an M.Sc. Political Science from Delta State University, Abraka.
In his quest for more knowledge, experience, capacity building and self-development, he attended various courses and obtained certificates from various institutions including:
Certificate in Top Executive Leadership Programme, Manchester Business School, UK; Certificate in Legislative Framework for Budget Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA; Certificate in Legislative Management and Leadership, International Law Institute, Washington DC, USA; Certificate in Leading Inclusive Development, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK; Certificate in Advanced Leadership Programme, University of Cambridge, UK;
Executive Training on Advanced Leadership and Communication School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; among others.
Before going into Politics, he was a very successful businessman with vast interests in the oil industry where he was a big time player.
A seasoned politician, grassroot mobilizer and an astute administrator. He began his political career as a Councilor/Supervisory Councilor for Works in 1996 under the old Okpe Local Government Area, which included the present Udu and Uvwie Local Government Areas and has remained in active politics till date.
In recognition of his drive for exemplary leadership to sustain peace and harmony among the restive youths in the State, he was appointed Special Assistant on Youth Development to Governor James Ibori (2003 – 2006); and also Special Adviser on Land Security to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan (2007 to 2010); State Coordinator for the Amnesty Programme (2009 – 2010); and Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Governor (2012 – 2014).
In furtherance of his determination to serve his people, he contested under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and won the election to represent Okpe State Constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly (2015 – 2019) for a first tenure and was re-elected in 2019. He was made the Honourable Speaker of the Sixth Assembly in May 2017, a position he still occupies till date in the Seventh Assembly because of his enthusiasm and commitment to teamwork. In fact, his selflessness and zeal to serve has made a difference, for he is the first Member of the Delta State House of Assembly to serve as Speaker from one Assembly to another Assembly.
He was the National Treasurer and now the Deputy Chairman of the Conference ofSpeakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria.
He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered)-MNIM and also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC). He is a Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM). He is also a recipient of numerous awards, including Merit Award from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Lawmaker Of The Year Award by the Independent Newspapers Ltd.
Over the years, he has extended various philanthropic gestures to different categories of people. Through his Sheriff Oborevwori Foundation, he has impacted lives through scholarships to students and provision of various empowerment/entrepreneurial support programmes.
In recognition of his community leadership and contributions to the growth and development of Okpe Kingdom, he was conferred with the traditional title of Ukodo of Okpe by HRM Orhorho 1, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom.
A devout christian and an ordained Elder of the Living Faith Church (aka Winners Chapel), he is married and blessed with children.
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