Wike’s 100 Days: Bountiful Harvest

Former Governor
Chibuike Amaechi had few days before his exit declared that the incoming administration led by Barrister Nyesom Wike would face challenges in carrying out developmental projects due to the decline and dwindling fortunes in the state revenue.
The ex-governor was speaking at a special thanksgiving service organized by the Greater Together Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt.
He blamed the dwindling economy and quest to pay off debts owed by the government as responsible for the delay in the payment of workers salary in the state.
In the words of the former governor “…We have no money anywhere. In Rivers State, there is no money. I appreciate that Nyesom Wike is coming and we are waiting. You will look for money to pay salaries and there is none. We are bearing these pains now because we have to pay all our loans. We have paid our loans if not all, but when the next administration finishes paying salaries, we will see if any of them will be able to do what we did.”
It was not surprising therefore,  that when Governor Wike came on board, no fund was left in the state coffers against the claim of the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress(APC)  that the former governor left N7billion behind ,
“The Accountant-General is here and we know that we didn’t meet any money in the treasury. The only money that we met was the internally generated revenue that Skye Bank had but they had collected part of it, over one billion, so nobody left one naira”Wike declared.
But the governor did not let the situation to deter him.  swung  into action immediately  after he was sworn –in, even though many people showed little hope in his administration   to perform.
According to the Caretaker Chairman of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, Torukwein Odimabo, “nobody gave Wike the chance but he has surprised everybody and even surpassed expectations.”
Indeed, Wike in the past 100 days, has turned the state into a huge construction site. Shortly after been sworn-in, the governor flagged off the “Operation “No Pothole In Port Harcourt”.  The programme which aims at ridding the state of potholes set the tone for the administration.
One will recall that almost all parts of the city’s roads and alleys were in decrepit state. The situation was made worse with heaps of refuse littering every part of the city. One of the things he did in the first week was to clear the streets and roads of refuse.
Shortly after a meeting with tank owners and tanker drivers in Government House, the governor visited the Iriebe Tankers Parking Complex and directed the immediate relocation and loading from the terminal which had been abandoned. The tankers had become a nuisance and were causing heavy traffic snarl along the Azikiwe Road and UTC Junction. He also met with waste managers and promised to offset over three months debts owed them by the previous administration.
In the first week, he also signed a memorandum of understanding with two construction giants to wit: Julius Beger Plc and Chinese firm, CCECC on road rehabilitation and repairs. He had sought the State Assembly which was opened few days after inauguration to approve the loan of N10billion to drive the scheme.
On the choice of the two firms, he said, “We don’t want to play politics with our roads and that is why we engaged these companies. While Julius Berger is expected to rehabilitate areas covering Silverbird Galleria road, parts of Ogbunabali, Tombia Extension, Evo Road, Woji Road in GRA and Azikiwe/UTC Junction, all through old Port Harcourt Township, CCECC is expected to cover all roads in Diobu axis, including drainage and other works.
When Governor Wike visited the premises of the Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta two weeks after he was inaugurated, many hailed him for his move to rehabilitate abandoned government schools. The governor was miffed with the decrepit state of facilities in the school.
He said, “ This shows that in the past for eight years, government did not think this school exist. There is no way in eight years of an administration, a school in a city yet government cannot renovate it.”
The same scenario played out at Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri, where neighbours have started encroaching into the school’s property. Already Governor Wike has set up a committee on the rehabilitation of government schools across the state. The committee is to provide template of costs and bill of quantities for the project.
Aside touching secondary education, Wike has in the past 100 days, touched tertiary education.  Both the state owned University of Science and Technology and College of Arts and Science no have new administrative heads. The revamped Law Faculty building in the State university is now adjudged to be the best with the Moot Court building  and library completed. The project was abandoned until Wike visited the school in June and promise to upgrade its facilities.
Similarly, the governor had visited several abandoned hospitals.  Amongst those visited are those in Bori, Isiokpo and Abonnema, as he promised to commence rehabilitation works on all dilapidated general hospitals across the state. The governor believes that this will bring health care closer to the people and at the same time reduce the pressure on tertiary health facilities like the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the state owned Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH).
Housing is one area that did not receive adequate attention in the last dispensation and which Wike is already giving attention. Currently, housing availability has become difficult with attendant high cost of rent. Challenged by the pains of the citizenry, the Wike administration kick-started 50 mixed flats housing units at Iriebe in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Welfare of civil servants and pensioners have received adequate attention in the past 100 days. One month after  he took over the sadde of the state, the governor cleared the three months backlog of arrears owed civil servants by the former administration, including that of pensioners and sports men.
Asked of his view of the administration, President of Obio/Akpor Nuhu Rebisi, Amgbom Onuoha remarked, “ Wike administration from my own point of view has done well.”
“In the area of road network, he has done marvelously well and you can see for yourself. Look at Rumuolemeni Road. Look at Elioparanwo Road down to Diobu areas, he has done marvelously well in that area.”
The legal practitioner was impressed over the way the governor resolved the protracted crisis that shut down the courts for more than nine months,
“The courts were shut down for almost a year and was opened immediately he assumed office. The legislature is fully in charge and working in the Assembly complex. You don’t have a situation where activities of the legislature were done in Government House,” he noted.
For Caretaker Chairman of Akuku –Toru Local Government Area,   Torukwein Odimabo, what excites him about the Wike administration is the gusto with which he tackles challenges.
“He is a governor we need to follow. He is a governor we need to trust; whatever thing he has promised, he has fulfilled. Now, look at the road, (Abonnema/Obonoma Link Road), he even did it beyond the way we expected it. He did not only construct the bridge, he extended the length of the road for us,” he said.
Lawmaker representing Akuku-Toru Constituency 1 in the State House of Assembly, Major Jack said he cannot express his appreciation enough over how the governor has touched the lives of the people in his constituency in just 100 days.
The Alice Okolo Bridge, he noted, will boost economic life of the people, as he recalled the hardship faced by residents of the area before the project was completed.
On his assessment of  Governor Wike’s administration in the past 100 days, Hon Jack retorted, “ what you are seeing today is change in all ramifications. From infrastructure to roads, just barely three months, Rivers State is changing and my constituency and my local government are beneficiaries and happy.”
Another Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart from Opobo/Nkoro, Senibo Boma Brown, observed that Wike unlike other governors took time to understudy the needs of the common people. Brown stated that he is not surprised that the governor is  performing beyond expectation.
“ The way he is going about governance and doing everything possible to make life of the people better through roads, housing and other things is commendable,” he stated Wike’s policy statements on land reforms and housing have equally attracted accolades from former National Publicity Secretary of Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers(NIESV),Mr Emmanuel Mark.
Mark said “ these are sure policy statements on fast tracking title documents in five weeks. For me, that is quantum leap. It will build confidence because people can now invest and use their titles to access loans”.
Meanwhile,   citizens have called on the governor to sustain the tempo and ensure that other areas of development are given attention. For Boma Brown, the governor needs to give attention to the Ogoni/Andoni/Opobo Unity Road.
“That word, ‘unity road implies that the road will create unity amongst the communities and it will engender development because the cost of building in the riverine areas is stupendous,” he said
Governor Wike has also visited the multi-billion naira project started by the Odili administration and continued by the Amaechi led administration in early part of August. He promised that by September next year, Opobo people will ride to their homes, as he blamed the past administration for discontinuing the project.
Mr. Mark however, tasked the governor on engaging professionals in manning the housing and lands ministries to inject efficiency.
“ I believe that it’s not enough to make pronouncements, once they appoint commissioners, then things will take shape”, he stated
A similar view was canvassed by the President of Obio/Akpor Nuhu Rebisi, Mr Onuoha. According to him, “ let him  the governor look in the area of land administration so that people can get their land tittles as soon as possible. Apart from the revenue it will bring, it will also help people in security to procure loans from the banks.”
Akuku –Toru CTC Chairman called on Governor Wike to ensure sustainability of the projects. He argued that once that is done, then projects will stand the test of time. Citing the Abonnema/Obonoma Bridge,” he said they need to pile the foot of that bridge, so it does not collapse or pose danger to the people.”