Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed why he thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his release of the State’s share of the arrears of the 13% derivation fund.
He said the release of the Funds by the President made it possible for the development strides that Rivers State has witnessed in the last few years of his administration.
He disclosed that with the quality of contractors that have been handling projects and delivering for the State, it would have been impossible to be able to pay salaries but for the funds released to Rivers and Other States of the Niger Delta.
He listed what the State has done in the Health Sector alone as being enough to make it difficult to pay salaries.
Going back memory lane, he said the State as of 2015 had no medical college despite having a Science based University, The Rivers State University of Science and Technology.
He disclosed that it is no mean feat building up a Medical College complete with a Renal Centre, a Cardio-Vascular Centre and Living quarters for house officers.
He challenged his detractors who he said are led by a governor to try it if it is easy asking if anybody know the Contractors executing projects for them.
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” I have said one of the governors whom i will soon reply, because i have the capacity to reply any of them, Simply because i said people should thank President Muhammadu Buhari for releasing 13% arrears to us, i did not abuse anybody, did i?”
” When i said please thank him that if he did not release this 13% arrears to me and some of our States, it may have been difficult for me to even talk about building Renal Centre, a Cardio-Vascular Centre, Basic and clinical Sciences, House Officers quarters and all that, it may have been difficult, i don’t think saying thank you is an offence”
“So in an interview one of the governors said in his state to do more than 3 kilometeres road, he will do more than 15 flyovers, is Rivers State not a Niger Delta? Don’t we have Riverine areas in Rivers State, Amanyabo of Opopo said since he was born, he has never driven by road to Opopo, the day he drove by road to Opopo, he said God is it possible that during my own time, i am not going through the River again to get to Opopo but i am now going by road to Opopo”
” That is a major Riverine area in Rivers, by the grace of God this December, we are going to commission the first phase of the Trans Kalabari road, that is a major Riverine area, i don’t know if this flyovers some people are sick about it?OK, Sorry i don’t want you to be sick again, i won’t do again, instead of you to appreciate and ask somebody, how are you doing this and justify what you are doing, i have turned the State capital around using a major construction company like Julius Berger, even though you have the capacity, even if you have what it takes, go and take Julius Berger and see whether you will be able to pay salaries, go and ask”
“People know the contractors i use in this state, i use Lubrigs, i use Setraco, I use Julius Berger, some of them nobody knows there contractor, if you know you are that governor, anything you see you take, if you know you are that governor, everything you see, you take, you know every time i am in my quiet way, they will not allow me to sleep, pikin wey say him Mama no go sleep, he go sleep?
” But i am proud to tell you it is not just flyovers, look at the health Sector alone, as at the time we came, this state had no medical College, only University of Port Harcourt, i can see how competitive being a Federal University, how many of our people gained admission to study Medicine and Other related courses and in my interactive Session with Nigerian Medical Association, i said if you give me support and i emerge, i must make sure the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, i don’t understand how a Science based University will not have a Medical College”
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