Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said one of the reasons the federal government projects had taken years to accomplish was, because the National Assembly often allocated paltry funds to projects earmarked for execution every fiscal year, when it knew such funds were grossly inadequate to achieving any meaningful milestone.
Wike stated that such practice has continued to encourage the abandonment of projects and promoted inadequacy in terms of governance, project delivery and public service.
The governor made the assertion, yesterday, at the inauguration of the Dr. Peter Odili Cancer Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in Port Harcourt, performed by His Highness, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.
He said, “That is for a project that will cost N26 billion, you are putting N500milion 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 N26billion 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,” adding that his administration has proven that through budgetary integrity, commitment and prudence, nothing was too difficult to achieve in governance for Nigerians.
The governor noted that his administration delivered the centre within agreed timeline of 14 months for the good of Rivers people and Nigerians at large.
He stressed that the Rivers people deserved the best, which, was why the best quality has been delivered at the centre, similar to the best quality delivered on all other projects.
Wike informed that already, there was partnership arrangement going on, based on the strength of the understanding brokered with the United States Consul General, Mr Will Stevens.
The governor disclosed that Stevens had visited the hospital and was currently making contacts with people, who know how best to run hospitals profitably, which would be considered to take over the operations of the centre.
Performing the inauguration of the project, His Highness, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, said it was pertinent to commend the sagacity and foresight of Wike for initiating and actualising such novel project.
He noted that the centre, which was the first of its kind in the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole, would surely benefit people beyond the boundaries of the South -South region.
In his goodwill message, former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, said he and his family were delighted for the honour done to them with such centre named after him while he was alive.
Odili said Wike should have been a medical doctor, because of the medical infrastructure he had provided in the state, which were second to none in the history of Nigeria.
“Look at this edifice. The honourable commissioner for health has lectured us about the uniqueness of this centre. Everything he said about the centre are true, I fully support and endorse,” he said.
In his speech, the NMA president, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, said Wike fixed the inauguration of the centre to coincide with the ongoing awareness campaign on cancer.
According to him, the administration of Wike has been bold in the provision of medical infrastructure tended to promote public health and take care of the patients.
