Nyesom Wike Governor has transformed Rivers state - Tam-George

The Rivers state commissioner of information, Dr. Austin Tam-George, in an interview, revealed that Governor Nyesom Wike has transformed the state in many ways.

Tam-George said Wike is implementing an urban masterplan that includes construction of roads that were abandoned by previous governments, bridges, and traffic lights.

The commissioner said "There is an impressive momentum of development everywhere you turn. The government is revitalising the State through the provision of critical infrastructure. Roads that were abandoned for decades and were impassable in many places have been completely re-constructed. Over 180 km of roads across the State have been completed in one of the most challenging terrains for constructions. "

In the educations sector,the commissioner also said the administration has completed the long-abandoned Law Faculty of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

According to him,  "General hospitals and primary health care centres are also being re-constructed across the State. For the first time in the history of Rivers State, Governor Wike is providing a system of financial grants to private medical practitioners in a radical bid to boost health care delivery in the State.

"Fifty housing units have already been completed in the Iriebe Housing Project in its first phase. 

Opportunities exist for investors to enter into partnership with the government to build gated housing estates and liveable urban communities that could transform the housing market in the State."

Speaking on the drop in Federal allocation to state governments, Tam-George explained that "The Wike government inherited the most abandoned projects in the history of Rivers State, since 1967. It also inherited four months of unpaid salaries for civil servants, six months of unpaid pensions; there were eight months of salary arrears for other categories of staff, including teachers, 11 months of unpaid salaries for staff of the state football clubs. Most importantly, Governor Wike inherited an empty treasury and billions of Naira of debt."

He also said "To worsen matters, not a scrap of paper was received as handover notes from the previous administration. Even the Governor’s official residence was vandalized, with beds, mattresses and even cooking pots stolen by officials of the previous administration. As a result, in all the 36 States of Nigeria today, Governor Wike is the only Governor forced to go to work every day, from his personal home.

"But within three months of his government, Governor Wike cleared all outstanding salary arears and pensions. We have never failed to meet our salary or pension obligations since this administration began.

"Through an advanced biometric staff vetting process introduced by the Governor, over 7, 000 ghost workers have been swept off the civil service payroll, saving the State billions of Naira that for years had been lost to payroll fraudsters."

He commented on the inconclusive elections in the state, saying INEC should have proceeded with the elections exactly as planned.viglink

He said the idea that Rivers State is unsafe for elections to hold is a mythology created by the political opposition to avert a likely defeat at the polls.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also alleged that Wike was attacked by security agents to prevent him from attending the party’s National Convention.