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Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, says no government should use
COVID-19 as an excuse not to invest in infrastructural development that
can foster economic development and prosperity.
Governor 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 Rivers State will 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.”
Governor 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 N 12.4 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.”
Governor Wike 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.
Senator Kalu after inspection of the Government House hospital and
Administrative Building, said Governor 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 ultramodern hospital like the one built by the
Wike’s administration. According to him, this will help to curtail the
huge foreign exchange expended on medical tourism.
“I advise every other State governor 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.”