- explains why he started with renewal of Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor
Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has
declared that his administration has stabilised the economy of state
through the strategic release of funds via payment of salaries and
payment for key projects.
He also explained that he started with the renewal of infrastructure in
Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas because both towns
support majority of the population of the state.
The governor also assured the people of
the state that he would execute key projects in all the 23 local
government areas, saying no local government area would be denied the
impact of good governance.
The governor spoke yesterday in Port
Harcourt during a town hall meeting tagged: “Accounting for Governor
Nyesom Wike’s administration: One Year After”, where he fielded
questions from the people of the state.
He said: “We have stabilised the economy
of Rivers State since we took of the reins of leadership in the state.
We achieved the stabilisation of the economy by injecting N151 billion
as salaries and payment of contractors.
“These funds have helped us to rebuild our economy which was badly damaged by the immediate past administration.”
The governor said no project would be
abandoned by his administration. According to him, his administration
will only award projects that will be completed within the life-span of
his administration.
He said the renewal of Port Harcourt and
Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas had enhanced the economy of the state
as more investors were confident to invest in the state.
He stated that that his administration
has reconstructed 46 roads under the Operation Zero Potholes, completed
15 roads “abandoned by the immediate past administration” and also
completed and inaugurated 27 new roads initiated by his administration.
He also announced that the State
Government is building an ICT compliant security infrastructure to help
fight crime and empower the security agencies to be more proactive.
Wike informed the people that measures have been put in place to tackle cultism across the state.
He said: “When I met with the President,
I told him that we will tackle cultism and insecurity in four local
government areas. They are Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and
Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas.”
He warned against the politicisation of
crime, blaming a particular political party for claiming suspected
cultists who murder others as their members.
He said the administration has started
the phased rehabilitation of schools in three senatorial districts,
completed the Faculty of Law, paid for science consumables and restored
NECO in the state.
He said his administration would
continue to subsidise education, but added that the people should be
prepared to pay maintenance fees to assist the state government run the
educational institutions.
He said: “I did not promise free
education, because I know that it does not work. I only assured that we
will provide quality education for the people. There is no free
education anywhere in the country. All those claiming free education are
playing politics”.
The governor said the needs assessment
of all the General Hospitals in the state had been completed, pointing
out that phased rehabilitation of the hospitals was going on in earnest.
He said employment opportunities would
be created via agriculture and industrialisation. He also said he will
work towards creating jobs for physically-challenged persons who are
educated.
“Employment generation will be our focus
in the next one year. We shall support entrepreneurship to create more
jobs for the people,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the
occasion, former Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Iche Ndu, praised
the governor for being transparent and accountable to the people. He
said Wike has performed creditably in transforming the state.
Highpoint of the town hall meeting was the immediate employment offered to three physically-challenged persons.
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