Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at the National Assembly, accusing it of playing a major role in the proliferation of abandoned projects across the country.
The state chief executive stated this during the inauguration ceremony of the Dr Peter Odili Cancer Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Centre performed by the Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero, in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Wike explained that the National Assembly often allocates paltry funds to federal projects earmarked for execution every fiscal year, despite sufficient knowledge that such funds are grossly inadequate to achieve any meaningful milestone. He argues that this is one of the reasons federal government projects take years to accomplish.
For him, such practice has, over the years, encouraged the neglect of projects, thus promoting poor governance, project delivery and public service.
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In his words,”The reason why Federal Government projects take years to complete is because the National Assembly often allocate paltry sums for projects earmarked for execution every fiscal year. Such practice has continued to encourage the abandonment of projects and promote inadequacy in terms of governance, project delivery and public service.
That is for a project that will cost N26billion, you are putting N500million in the budget for one year. Then, it will now take you more than 20 years to achieve it. By then, the cost will move up from N26 billion to one hundred and something billion. That is why you see in this country abandonment of projects. If we are serious in this country to say that we will get the best, I can tell you that it is not impossible,” the governor argued.
The governor, who boasted that the Rivers State Government has proven that nothing is too difficult to achieve in governance, scored his own administration high in budgetary integrity, commitment and prudence.
He added that his administration delivered the centre within the agreed timeline of 14 months for Rivers people and Nigerians.
Ojochenemi Onje-James
Ojochenemi Onje-James is a research writer and journalist with years of proven footprints in areas of crime and politics. She has a M.Sc in International Relations and Strategic Studies as well as a B.Sc in Mass Communication.
