Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has dropped a bombshell,
saying many governors in Nigeria are hiding under COVID-19 pandemic not to
perform.
He said no government should use COVID-19 as an excuse not
to invest in infrastructural development that can foster economic development
and prosperity.
Wike made this assertion during a facility tour of the
ultramodern Government House hospital and Administrative building in Port
Harcourt by the Senate Chief Whip and former Governor of Abia State, Senator
Orji Uzor Kalu.
He said that Rivers State would not join the league of
States that hide under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic to deny their people
basic infrastructure like roads ,which is universally acknowledged as a major
contributor to higher economic productivity, growth and trade.
“COVID-19 cannot be an excuse to any government. COVID -19
is a bad thing, but it has come. It will go whether we like it or not. But
people will also be alive. Infrastructure must be provided, so you can’t say
because of COVID-19 nothing will be done. At the time COVID-19 ends, what will
the people be facing? Lack of basic infrastructure. So, because of COVID19, I
am not going to be doing anything? I am not a party to that. I will continue to
work whether there is COVID-19 or not.”
Wike explained his administration has conscientiously been
investing in high quality infrastructure that have positive economic value that
can stimulate job creation, boost foreign direct investment in the State.
He stated that in the midst of the prevailing COVID-19
pandemic, the State government on Wednesday approved two additional flyovers at
the cost of N12.4 billion to Julius Berger.
According to him, investment in these projects have been
made possible because of the government’s judicious application of State
resources to meet the pressing needs of the people.
“You manage whatever you have for the interest of the
people. Infrastructure brings investments. Part of the problem we have in this
country today is the decay of infrastructure. We don’t have it and that also
affects investment inflow. So, when these roads are there, you will see people
will come in. You don’t expect private investor to begin to do road for you. It
is not possible.
“You want to do agriculture, there is no road. How can we do
agriculture when there is no road. How will the produce be brought to the city,
to the market? So, you must provide these basic infrastructure for investment
inflow and that is what we are doing.”
applauded Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who is a chieftain of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) for visiting Rivers State to assess what his
administration is doing to improve the quality of life of the people. He said
such bipartisan collaboration is required for the country to move forward.
Kalu after inspection of the Government House hospital and
Administrative Building, said Wike’s deliberate investment in crucial
infrastructural is commendable.
“All the facilities I have seen here is first class. This is
what I can’t even see in Europe. The hospital I have seen, the doctors’ room,
the conference centre is something else. I must commend Governor Wike. You see
I am a bipartisan person. We need to commend anybody who has done a good job.
He is PDP, I am APC.”
The Senate Chief Whip implored the Federal, State and Local
authorities to urgently consider it worthwhile to emulate the Rivers State
government by investing ultra-modern hospital like the one built by the Wike’s
administration.
According to him, this would help to curtail the huge
foreign exchange expended on medical tourism.
“I advise every other State governors or the local
authorities and national authorities to build hospitals like this. If you know
how much we spend on medical tourism, you will pity this country.”
He further added: “We are not talking about party, I am talking
about conscience and what I have seen. This is fantastic. I have never seen any
private hospital in Nigeria or government owned hospital like I have seen in
Government House.”
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