By
Emmanuel Aziken
Governor
Nyesom Wike of Rivers State last weekend conducted a team of visiting
journalists on a tour of some projects being undertaken by the state
administration.
Following
the tour, the governor sat down for an interview in which he unveiled his style
and strategies in swimming above the currents in a static economy.
It
was a day after the General Overseer of The Redeemed Church of God; Pastor Enoch
Adeboye ministered at the government-sponsored annual carol service in Port
Harcourt.
The
anointing was perhaps still flowing on Governor Nyesom Wike when this
correspondent posed the question as to the source of funds for the many
projects the administration has embarked on.
In
a time of contraction with many state governments pulling back on projects, and
even halving the pay of their civil servants, Governor Wike is apparently
trudging in the opposite direction with construction works spread across the
three senatorial districts.
Replying
to the question as he sat across the correspondent in the customized Ford bus,
Wike gushed, “We are operating a Jesus economy,” leaving the reporter wondering
like the prophet of old as to whether Saul was now among the prophets?
“You
asked, and I have told you, I can’t even explain it myself, it is a Jesus
economy, Jesus is the one doing it,” the former minister turned governor said.
Wike
is certainly not Jesus. Rather than basking in the euphoria of men, Jesus
repeatedly walked away from men escaping when men sought to make him King.
On
the contrary, for the two days the visiting journalists accompanied him, Wike
was basked in the approval he got from the hundreds of men and women that
turned out to hail him at every point.
Some
ladies mischievously took their passion to the extreme, blowing kisses at the
governor! “We love you Nyesom,” one lady blew at Wike as the team traversed the
7.2 kilometer Elelenwo Road.
The
political division in Rivers State as expressed by the serious rivalry between
the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration, and the preceding All
Progressives Congress, APC has, however, not deterred the administration from
continuing with some of the projects inherited from the Rotimi Amaechi-led APC
administration.
One
of such is the Abuloma-Woji Road with its massive 400-meter bridge. The
significance of the project the governor explained would be that it would help
decongest the recurring gridlock on the Old Aba Road.
Administration
officials who accompanied the governor said that the Wike government since it
came to power reconstructed or rehabilitated at least 42 roads in the
Port-Harcourt area and about 200 roads across the state.
Other
projects inspected were the reconstructed Igwuruta-Chokocho Road, dualization
of Sakpenwa-Bori Road, reconstruction of Obiri-Ikwere Airport Road,
reconstruction of Ogbunabali Internal Roads, reconstruction of Aluu Road,
Birabi Memorial Grammar School and Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta.
The
project tour also covered Federal High Court Complex being funded by the Rivers
State Government, Ozuoba-Rumuoparali Road, Igbo-Etche Road,
Chokocho-Umuechem-Ozuzu Road and Ulakwo-Afara-Nihi Road.
The
imprint of the administration is, however, not limited to roads as the governor
took the delegation to the Government Girls Secondary School, Rumokwuta which
it is hoping to use as a model.
When
the team arrived the school, construction was ongoing in various sections of
the school premises which the Wike administration intends to convert to a 960
student fully boarding school.
The
construction works include the provision of a modern assembly hall with modern
electronic systems, about 1.5 kilometers of internal roads, staff quarters
among others. Two similar model schools with nearly the same specifications are
also being done in other sections of the state including Bori.
Giving
a peep into the operations of his Jesus economy, the governor said it was
underlined by righteousness and prudence in the application of government
resources.
He
cited Sakpenwon-Bori Road as a testimony of the working of the Jesus economy.
The 16 km road which is being built for N9bn was originally awarded by a
previous administration for N14 billion even with lower specifications.
“I
can tell you that road was designed by the previous administration at the cost
of N14bn – to use laterite, but when we came on board we said how can laterite
cost N14bn, and we said we prefer to use sharp sand because of the terrain. So,
you will ask yourself, how can laterite cost more than sharp sand?”
The
governor first adopted the more expensive sharp sand in building roads when he
served as local government chairman of Obio/Akpor local government area. He
said that they may be more expensive, but that they make better roads.
Speaking
on his determination not to abandon projects inherited from the previous
administrations, he pointed at the Woji-Akpajo bridge which was awarded by the
preceding regime which his government is working round the clock to complete.
“I
did not award the job, but it is an important road that whether we like it or
not any governor must finish. Some of the projects started by the previous
administration that we felt they are key projects, we said we should not
abandon them because we did not award them.
The
whole essence is not concerning whether you awarded the project or not. If we
have the opportunity of completing the project, for me that is the key.
“There
are so many projects I completed. Take, for example, the University of
Education Road. It was about 40 – 45 per cent completed. I came I completed it.
The
road Ozuogba-Ogbogoro road was awarded at the cost of about N8bn. They paid the
contractor about N3bn, and they abandoned it. We came we completed it.
Former
Senate President David Mark came to commission it. There is Abuloma-Woji
bridge. We came we completed it.
On
the way to Etche, there is Igwurita-Umukuruchi road. They could not complete
it. We came we completed it. The Woji road towards Aba road they awarded it to
LCC but they did not mobilise with one naira, so LCC did not go to site. Rather
than demolish houses and pay compensations that will not be enough for the
people to build another house, we brought the price to about N4bn and completed
the road.”
However,
Wike apparently would not touch some of the signature projects of the former
administration. The monorail project which officials say would take another N50
billion to complete is one saying the government cannot afford the money.
Another
are the 21 model schools which administration officials say was a scheme laced
with propaganda. One significant project the Wike administration is hoping to
boost the economy of the state is the Pleasure Park, a project that is aimed at
boosting tourism and at the same time revenue for the state government.
The
project located at Rumuola, near Bori Camp, a military base is being
constructed by Julius Berger and is expected to be completed ahead of the
state’s 50th anniversary next year.
Speaking
more on how he is operating the Jesus economy, Wike said: “What is important is
not the amount of resources you have, it is about how you can utilise the
little you have to make sure that you do not allow contracts to be highly
inflated in the sense that contracts that are supposed to be N1bn are put out
at N7bn.
But
overall, I would say that there are certain explanations I cannot give. I have
told people who have spoken with me that we run a Jesus economy.
“If
you ask, what is Jesus economy; it has to do with things you cannot explain
economically. As an economist, if you are arguing, there are factors that you
use to back up your argument but in this case you will see that the Nigerian
economy is under recession and Rivers’ economy is part of federal economy;
companies are folding up, workers are being sacked that means the income of the
state will be coming down as relates to internally generated revenue. The money
we get from the federation account, it is on record that it was last month that
we had about N10bn, the highest was about N5bn, and we pay pensioners and
salaries about N5.6 monthly, so if we use that it means we will not be able to
do projects.”
Read
more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/wikes-works-jesus-economy-model/
