Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has declared that he would be leaving office in May with a sense of fulfilment that he has not disappointed the people of the state.
And to consolidate on the infrastructure transformation of the past seven years, the governor implored Rivers electorate to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship, national and state legislative candidates in the general election.
This is even as the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that the 2023 general election would prove to many the strategic political importance of the state.
The governor spoke after inspection of the ongoing dualisation of Azikiwe-Iloabuchi Road, Rumuola-Rumuokwuta and Mgbuoba-NTA-Choba flyovers in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Wike said the huge number of Rivers people who thronged the streets to commend him at the various project sites, was indicative that he delivered on his mandate and has not disappointed the people.
“You can see the happiness radiating in their faces, that makes us happy that the people are happy with us. That means when government or leaders have made promises they should be able to fulfill their promises.
“I think we can say with all good authority, we are happy and we can go home satisfied that we have not disappointed our people. That is the major thing for me, that you’re going home not disappointed that you made promises to the people and you didn’t fulfill the promises.”
Wike noted that it is unprecedented in the history of the country that a government with barely four months left to the end of its tenure, could still be flagging off and new commissioning projects.
“We are still flagging off new projects which is key, and people are asking what kind of government are these people. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, a government is commissioning and flagging off more projects when they have less than four months to leave.”
The governor, who expressed confidence that his administration would finish strong, charged Rivers electorate to ensure they vote massively for the PDP governorship, national and state legislative candidates in the February and March elections.
He maintained that voting for the PDP governorship and legislative candidates would guarantee the consolidation and sustainability of the infrastructure transformation recorded in the last seven years by his administration.
“It is unprecedented, but again, Rivers people deserve the best. That is why we are saying to Rivers people with what we have done, we are preaching for consolidation.”
The governor remarked that when in his second tenure, his administration started the construction of 12 flyovers; some cynics had questioned where the state would get the resources to accomplish the projects.
“We are doing flyovers, and at the same time carrying out other projects in the state. Today, we completed 10 flyovers and commissioned them, remaining two.
The governor said Julius Berger has promised that three projects inspected will be completed and delivered to the state government for commissioning before the end of the administration.
“Berger has promised that we will commission these projects before we leave office, and that is in fulfilment of the promise we made to our people that no one project will be left abandoned.”
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that the 2023 general election would prove to many the strategic political importance of the state.
He said the state cannot continue to be a dumping ground where the interests of the people are considered inconsequential.
Wike spoke at Elele Civic Centre, venue of the flag-off of construction work on the Elele internal roads in Ikwerre Local Government Area, yesterday.
He urged the people to understand that Rivers State stands very strong in the scheme of national affairs, which was why when the state gives anybody support, it should be reciprocated.
Instead of people to address their minds to that reality, Wike said they were rather issuing political threats against the state.
He warned those issuing such threats in Abuja to have a rethink else they would have problems.
Wike said Rivers State has remained the bedrock of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999, provided it with bulk votes and logistics than any PDP state in the country.
The governor insisted that if there was no Rivers State, there would not also have been a PDP, adding tyhat despite the state’s contributions, there was nothing of note, in terms of projects that can be reckoned as benefit to justify the support.
Wike pointed to how Rivers State refused to enter into negotiation with the APC-led Federal Government as done by other states, and did not give President Muhammadu Buhari 25percent votes in the 2019 election despite the heavy military presence in the state.
He explained that Rivers State ranked higher above other states, and they should shiver when it was talking.
Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Rivers State governor disclosed that some politicians have started mounting pressure on the National Assembly to speedily pass the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) N500billion budget.
“Since NDDC was established, look at the money that has gone into NDDC. What can we show for it? The NDDC has become a cash cow for politicians. The President has just inaugurated the new board of the NDDC. You know what is going on now? There is N500B budget for NDDC. Election is coming from February 25. Now, what the politicians have done is to put pressure on the National Assembly so that they will pass the N500billion budget for NDDC.”
He explained that some politicians with vested interest in the 2023 general election have already determined how the NDDC budget would be siphoned, and if they succeed, the region will further suffer.
Wike said it was regrettable that those who superintend over the affairs of the NDDC are sons and daughters of the oil producing states; yet, the commission has never deemed it appropriate to seek the input of these state in its budget preparation.
He said the Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice has been notified to challenge some perceived fraudulent provisions of the budget, such as the allocation of N60billion for building a spurious safe haven for a particular security agency and N4billion for cleaning of gutters, in court.
The governor lamented that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs had been rendered redundant, as supervision of the NDDC had become the role concern of minister in charge of the ministry.
Speaking on the project, Wike told the people of Elele that the entire roads network in the town would be reconstructed, and would serve as part of appreciation for their support to his administration 2015.
He explained that all the indigenous contractors his administration was using have all shown capacity, and assured that no project awarded by his administration would be left abandoned.
Wike urged them to support his quest for consolidation by voting Sir Siminialayi Fubara to be the next governor of the state, and his running mate, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, who would continue with the ongoing development agenda.
Providing the description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr. Dakorinima Alabo George-Kelly, said the Elele internal roads was awarded to the contractor, O.K.I. Nigeria Limited on October 28, 2022.
According to him, the road measures 9KM in length, would have 6KM drains, and was expected to be completed in the next three months.