The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has said that his administration has commenced the process of equipping recently completed Zonal Hospitals to take quality tertiary healthcare closer to the people.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Board and Management of Philips Project Centre Limited at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike said that the Zonal Hospital, Degema and Zonal Hospital, Bori have been completed while the equipping process was ongoing.
He added that the Rivers State Government was also equipping the Mother and Child Hospital in Port Harcourt to provide specialist care to women and children.
“Health is very important to this administration. It is one key area that we are focusing on to improve the lives of the people.
“We are investing resources to equip the completed Zonal Hospitals that will soon come on stream. We have Zonal Hospitals in Degema, Bori, Etche, Ahoada and Omoku. We will equip Degema and Bori Zonal Hospitals because they have been completed”, he said.
Wike said that the Rivers State Government would partner with Philips Project Centre to equip the hospitals and train staff to maintain the facilities.
He directed the Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and the Permanent Secretary, Primary Healthcare to work with Philips Project Centre to develop the health facilities for use by Rivers people.
“Whatever we will agree with Philips Project Centre must include training and retraining of our staff. We will partner to equip these hospitals”, he said.
The governor noted that his administration has so far equipped the former Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, now Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, with $6.5million.
The Executive Director, Philips Project Centre, Ayo Grillo called for partnership with the Rivers State Government to equip hospitals across the state.
Grillo said that the Philips Project Centre has special interest in Rivers State as the organisation has been working in the state for some years to construct and maintain healthcare facilities.
“We have a long history with Rivers State. We are keen to continue to work with Rivers State to develop the health sector. We bring trainers from abroad to train clinical and non-clinical staff with requisite knowledge on how to tackle healthcare challenges”, he said.
He informed the Rivers State governor that they operate internet-based applications to ensure efficiency, and promised to deploy ICT to make the state’s healthcare system effective and efficient.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has stated that his administration would follow the due process of the law in implementing the report of the committee set up to investigate and audit the financial transactions of the 23 local government councils, insisting that erring principal officers of the LGAs would be sanctioned.
He spoke when he received the report of the committee set up to investigate and audit the financial transactions of the 23 local government councils from May, 2018 to May, 2019 at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Monday.
The governor said, “If I was going to them to collect money, I wouldn’t get up to set up the committee. They would have indicted me. Some councils receive up to N2billion annually and there is a council that gets up to N5billion annually, yet no project”.
Wike said that the Rivers State Government would abide by the Supreme Court judgment that state governors cannot dissolve elected councils, but noted that the report presented by the committee exposed a scandalous rot in the local government system.
He said: “The Supreme Court has said that you cannot dissolve elected councils. We will obey the Supreme Court judgment on that matter.
“But we shall take action on the areas where we are empowered by law to act. All the treasurers, Heads of Personnel Management and other civil servants involved in illegal financial transactions will be sanctioned.
“I have read the preliminary report. It is bad. The report is scandalous. Tomorrow, they will say that I don’t remember those who fought for me. Did you fight for me, so that you can destroy the system”.
Wike said local government council chairmen are under obligation to work for their people and deliver dividends of democracy to improve their lives.
“I am quite satisfied with what the committee has done. It is not political, and things must be done the right way. We cannot continue to play while the people suffer. The problem with this country is that we take things for granted.
“As a local government council chairman, I created record as a performer. I did projects and worked for our people. I won all the awards”.
The governor urged council chairmen and top government officials to always work to develop their communities and leave worthy legacies.
He commended the committee for working in line with their terms of reference, adding that they focused on the task without attracting any form of scandal.
“I thank the committee for a job well done. I am quite satisfied with what the committee has done. It is not political and things must be done right. We cannot continue to play while the people suffer. The problem with this country is that we take things for granted”, he said.
The governor noted that he was not out to witch-hunt anyone, but remains committed to the development of Rivers State and the entrenchment of due process.
Earlier, Chairman of the committee set up to investigate and audit the financial transactions of the 23 local government councils from May, 2018 to May, 2019, and Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo, thanked the governor for his commitment to the development of Rivers State.
She explained that to ensure professionalism, the committee engaged three auditing firms to achieve the right results.
The deputy governor said that all the council chairmen and relevant officials participated in the exercise, stressing that the committee worked in line with best practices for the good of Rivers State.
She challenged the local government chairmen to see the exercise as a wake-up call to work for their people.