The Rivers State Chapter of the
All Progressives Congress, APC, on Friday challenged the state Governor, Nyesom
Wike to make the public the state’s 2018 budget.
The party gave the call while
warning that it won’t accept a repeat of what happened in the past two years
where Wike refused to make public the state’s budgets.
Publicity Secretary of the party
in the state, Chris Finebone, noted that Wike’s refusal to make the state’s
budget public clearly “suggests that he will continue ignoring the people and
keep holding the state budgets hostage.”
In a statement he signed, Finebone dared Wike to follow the footstep of his predecessor
and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi by making the 2018
budget public.
The statement reads, “Again, the
Rivers State governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike has presented a budget of N510 billion
to the Rivers State House of Assembly Thursday with the usual fanfare.
Expectedly, so he did for 2016 and 2017. However, presentation of the budget
proposals remains the last Rivers citizens see of their actual budgets
thereafter. All attempts to compel the governor to make public the final
appropriation laws (budgets) have met the brick wall. This is at variance with
what obtains in all other states of Nigeria and the federal government where
budgets are easily placed in the public domain for everyone to access at will.
“The Rivers State Chapter of All
Progressives Congress, APC, will not accept a repeat of what happened in the
past two years where the governor vehemently refused to make public the state’s
budgets. We are pleased to know that a coalition of civil society groups is
already in court to compel the Rivers State governor to make public the
previous state’s budgets. As a party, we will not refrain from lending a strong
voice to the clamour to give the public access to the state’s budgets.
“At the risk of sounding
pessimistic, early signs already indicate that Rivers people should not expect
any cheery news from the present budget proposal presented by Gov. Nyesom Wike
last Thursday.
“In his budget proposal
presentation speech, nothing suggested that the budget will be placed in public
space this time around as the governor made no comments on the clamour by the
people to be given access to their budgets. His refusal to react to that
clamour clearly suggests that he will continue ignoring the people and keep
holding the state budgets hostage.
“As a political party, the APC
team of budget experts is carefully studying the appropriation bill presented
to the Rivers State House of Assembly. However, we note that the actual kernel
of a budget which the team will be evaluating is whether all the processes the
House should put the bill through are conformed with because that is largely
what will legitimise the final outcome or invalidate it . Another is whether
this time around the final budget will be placed in public space just as all
other states in Nigeria including the federal government do.
“Meanwhile we will continue to
ask why the present government has refused to follow in the footsteps of all
previous administrations in Rivers State especially that of the Rt. Hon.
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (in which the present governor served as Chief of
Staff) by placing the state budgets in public space so that Rivers people and
other critical stakeholders can access them. Gov. Nyesom Wike needs to provide
an answer except if there is none and that will confirm our worst fears.”
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