~By Derefaka Ajubo
Just as Aristotle rightly observed at about 2400 years ago that human beings are by nature, social creatures, Social Trust is the underlying foundation of relationships among individuals, groups, and other components of a society. Knack and Zak(2003) claimed that Social Trust is quite essential to numerous aspects of civil society.
People exhibit a certain extent of trust when dealing with others, and on that basis expect certain types of responses. Without trust in others actions, people have to consider too many contingencies and uncertainties to take action, thereby destroying the foundation of community and society.
Without Social Trust, a State’s economy cannot perform well. Costs in undertaking economic transactions by economic entities would be too high, hence Social Trust becomes the key determinant of social and economic development as well as of human beings.
From the realities of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s agenda; “Rivers First”,
a discerning economic minded enthusiast will certainly agree that the entire agenda content resonates with the two constituent components of Social Trust (Institutional and Interpersonal trust).
Social Capital may as well be generally defined as a type of resources embedded in relationships among individuals that facilitate cooperative and collaborative actions within Societies (Coleman 1988)(Putnam 1993)
The core mission of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s agenda proposes quality, people focused governance aimed towards making Rivers State the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism and then, living This will consequently make Rivers State the top State in Nigeria in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), culminating in zero percent rate in the poverty head count index.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara economic plans for Rivers people has fundamentally identified similarities with world Bank’s Development Report, which have over the years placed many already industrialized nations in their places of economic eldorado, bringing about exponential economic growth and correcting fiscal policy actions.
The Governor is actualizing these aforesaid vision for the greater good of our dear State. His tenacious public engagements portray him as one with the requisite understanding of governance, and he is sailing on a tight ship devoid of leakages as he is taking Rivers State economy to the greatest heights in the comity of States in Nigeria.
Derefaka Ajubo is the Director General, Simplified Ambassadors of Rivers State (SARS).
