Siminalayi Fubara

He was born in Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State. His primary was in Opobo Primary School and he also attended Comprehensive Secondary School, Opobo before proceeding to study Accountancy at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. He got his MBA and MSc in 2013 and 2016 respectively from the University of Port Harcourt.[4]

As Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara signed N195.3bn contract with Julius Berger for the construction of Port Harcourt Ring Road project. The project when completed would traverse six local government areas of the state, thereby decongesting Port Harcourt.[5] The governor further stated the state would pay over 150 billion advance for the project.[6]

Sim started his career in 2003 as a principal accountant with the Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board. He rose to the position of director of finance and accounts at the State's government house in 2015 and rose to the position of permanent secretary in March 2020. He was appointed the accountant general of Rivers State on December 23, 2020, up till May 2022, when he won the People's Democratic Party governorship primaries for the 2023 general elections. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management, Fellow of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.[7]

In May 2022, Fubara and 58 other government officials were declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for a NGN 435 billion fraud. He was also wanted for a NGN 117 billion fraud alongside four other Rivers State government officials. Additional charges by the EFCC included alleged criminal conspiracy, money laundering, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of office.[8][9][10]

Fubara is the second of five children and the first son of Late Joseph Fubara, a former soldier who had an overseas training tour of duty, and Late Love Fubara, a civil servant. He is also a knight of St. Christopher (KSC) Order of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. He holds the traditional chieftaincy title of Amaopu-Senibo of Opobo Kingdom. He is married Valerie Fubara and they have three children.[11]