FG Denies Rivers Of Potable Water – Amaechi

L-R: Publisher, BusinessDay, Mr Frank Aigbogun, Director, CBN Capital, Mr Chuka Mordi, President, General Electric, Nigeria, Mr Lazarus Angbazo and Associate Director, First Bank Capital, Mr Afolabi Olorode, at the 2013 Annual Chief Executive Officers’ Forum in Lagos, recently.
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Governor Chibuike Amaechi says the refusal of the federal authorities, through the office of the Minister of Finance, to sign off World and African Development Banks loans for water project in Rivers State have increased the likelihood of more Rivers people dying of water-borne diseases.
Amaechi made the assertion while playing host to members of the House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources led by its Chairman Aliyu Pategi on Monday in Government House, Port Harcourt.
Lauding the Committee for being alive to its oversight functions, the governor requested them to investigate why the Minister of Finance had deliberately refused to give room for the international bodies to release the loans, “Rivers people will be requesting you to summon the Minister of Finance to ask why she has refused to sign off the loan granted to us by the World Bank and the ADB on water project. Her reason is that Amaechi is fighting with the President”, he said.
The Rivers State governor disclosed that while the National Assembly had approved the funds, the federal authorities have refused to release the funds warning that such action was detrimental to the health and safety of Rivers people who are now more susceptible to dying from water-borne diseases.
For him, the Minister of Finance was using her office to play politics and undermine the health of the citizenry adding, “we will allow the Ministry to award the contract to anybody they will want to, our own is that we want the loan and we want the water”.
Amaechi reiterated that his responsibility is to provide the citizenry with potable water and therefore called on the Committee to prevail on the federal authorities to release the funds to save lives in the state.
Earlier Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Aliyu Pategi said they were in the state to carry out their oversight functions, while decrying the level of duplication in water projects across the country.
He said, “we follow projects of the members to ensure value for money”.
Hon. Pategi also commended Governor Amaechi for the novel projects he had initiated and executed in the state, pointing out that his unique leadership qualities have equally helped him to steer the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, and prayed God to continue to guide him.