Omiete Joseph
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that he appointed Peter Ogolo the new Surveyor-General of the State and Permanent Secretary not because he hails from Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.
Fubara, who spoke on today, while inaugurating the new Surveyor-General in Government House, Port Harcourt, clarified that Ogolo merited the position because he is qualified as the most senior Surveyor who has done a lot for the State.
He disclosed that even those who interviewed the person he is succeeding today noted these qualities which are on the records at the Civil Service Commission.
The governor said the story behind Ogolo appointment gave credence to the saying that “when your time comes, nobody can stop it”.
He said: “Mr Ogolo who by the special grace of God today is sworn-in as the Surveyor-General and Permanent Secretary has been a very senior Survey Officer in the state with his imprint on several surveys and developments in the State including the Greater Port Harcourt City Development.
“If you go into the history of the then Greater Port Harcourt City Development and the history of other developments in this state, if you check the survey plans you will see that Ogolo was the one, who signed all those things.
“But something happened in the course of his service. He was between losing his job or fighting for his life, he came to me and I advised him to leave it and fight another day. And that is why he is alive today to be the Surveyor-General. If he has stood to fight that he was the most Senior and most qualified, he wouldn’t have been here today”.
The governor told the new Surveyor-General to leverage on his experience over the years to do the right things and avoid the snares of favouritism.
He said: “So, I don’t need to give you any charge, you are already there, you know what the office entails. You just read your oath of office, do what is right. It is not about the faces you are going to see. Do what is right, be professional and defend the interest of the state”.