Monorail: RSBPPP Debunks ACN’s Claims

The Executive Director of the Rivers State Bureau for Public Private Partnership(RSBPPP), Mrs. Anita Laz Nwokeafor, has described the recent statement on the state monorail project by the State Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), Mr Jerry Needam as  cheap blackmail.

Mrs. Nwokeafor while debunking statements attributed to her by the ACN spokesman in Rivers State told newsmen that the radio interview was now being used by the opposition to deride the good intention of government in building a novel and modern transport system in the state.

The RSBPPP boss said she had used the interview to clear the air over the monorail project, which according to her was being executed after due process, adding,” what I said in the interview was that the Rivers State Government had had an earlier agreement with TSI Nigeria Limited, but the company backed out because it could not source the funds to execute such magnitude of project considering the meltdown affecting the world economy at that time ‘’.

She lamented that her statement had been miscontrued by the ACN and used as a source of blackmail on her.”

“We all know that since the monorail project started two years ago, the ACN has been its biggest critic. The party sees no good in whatever the present government does, hence, it miscontrued the interview and is using it as an avenue to poison the minds of Rivers people,” she said.

The Rivers Public /Private Partnership Bureau chief further described the press statements by the party’s publicity secretary as a piece of ‘diatribe journalism’ capable of misinforming the public, noting that at no time had she spoken from both sides of her mouth as the ACN publicity chief alleged.

She also used the medium to urge Rivers people to be patient with the State Government, reiterating that the project was for the future and would be completed soon since the first phase was at an advanced stage.

It would be recalled that the ACN in an earlier statement condemned the Executive Director of RSBPPP for denying an alleged statement she made during a live interview she granted a local radio in Port Harcourt at the weekend.

Spokesman for the party said Mrs. Nwokeafor’s statement confirms its criticism of the project which it said, was fraught with irregularities and without due process.