Rivers
State Governor, Nyesom Wike recently commissioned a number of projects within
the state as part of activities to mark his 100 days in office.
These
include 50 housing units at Iriebe, the Abonnema-Obonoma bridge as well as
various completed projects under the Operation Zero Pothole Programme.
The
Governor had pledged to complete all projects abandoned by his predecessor.
He
made the pledge when the Archibishop of the Niger Delta North, Anglican
Communion, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey, paid him a courtesy visit at Government
House, Port Harcourt.
He said, “we cannot just see abandoned projects and
fold our arms because we did not award it. If we do that, we will all lose: the
entire people of Rivers State will lose.”
The
commitment to complete the development plans of previous administrations marks
a break in the attitude of governments across the country where projects
of previous governments are not
completed.
Coming
from a State Chief Executive who is widely perceived to be in a bitter war with
the immediate past governor, this move destroys all the theories of
vindictiveness thrown up against Governor Wike. In fact, the use of the same
contractors, including notable cronies of the ex-governor, to execute the jobs
shows that the incumbent governor is clearly different from the other
governors.
We
can recall how the many regimes under the military abandoned projects initiated
by their predecessors and embarked on new ones, most of which were also not
completed within their tenure. The result is massive waste of public resources,
dislocation of development activities and the loss of public trust.
Apart
from the Operation Zero Pothole policy which Governor Wike is actualising,
serious construction and rehabilitation works are currently progressing on some
abandoned projects across the State. Notable among them is the Abonnema
township road and bridge, Iloabuchi-Eagle Island Link Road, which has been
delivered, Woji-Trans Amadi Road, Woji-Akpajo Road, Rumuepirikom-Rumuolumeni
Road, Law Faculty Building at RSUST, Bori and Elele-Alimini General Hospitals,
among others, many of which were commissioned when he marked his 100 days in
office recently.
It
is on record that Governor Wike is the first Head of Government in Nigeria to
commit to and actualise completion of projects left behind by previous
government. More than words, he has actually transformed Port Harcourt into a
construction site.
Rivers
State has been in serious deficit of roads, housing and other socio-economic
structures that had resulted in stunted growth. Delivery of all of these
abandoned projects will surely help. Moreso, the governor has assured that
funding would not pose a challenge because he had with the approval of the
State House of Assembly, obtained bank loans to prosecute these and other new
projects in the pipe line.
Rivers
people and, indeed, other residents of the State are no longer able to hide
their appreciation of the present government for the zeal with which it is
addressing the problems of the state. This is evidenced by the huge crowd that
troop out to the streets to cheer the Governor as he inspects projects.
While
it was common for previous administrations to capitalise on the advent of the
rainy season as a ready excuse to delay or even suspend work on critical state
projects, Governor Wike’s deadlines to contractors and his almost daily visits
to project sites not only prove that such jobs could be accomplished in spite
of the rains, but, that he is eager to deliver on his electoral promises.
The
Tide joins all well-meaning Rivers people to thank the governor for this
patriotic move. We also ask that he will not allow anything to change his mind
or distract him from providing real governance and taking Rivers State from the
path of waste.
Culled
from www.thetidenewsonline.com
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