Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara, has called on the Federal Government to learn how to develop the country from how the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, was developing the state.
Opara, who made the call during the commissioning of 6.1km long, 7.3m wide Omuihuechi-Omuoko-Omokiri link road in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, stated that the prudence with which the governor had embarked upon infrastructural development of the state at a point when the federal and state governments were negatively affected by the impact of COVID-19, was worth understudying.
“At a time when the federal and state governments are struggling with COVID-19, Governor Wike has instead, been commissioning and flagging-off projects across the state.
“Federal Government has relied on the disturbances of COVID-19, many states are grappling with inability to pay salaries, you (Wike) are still commissioning projects. You are breaking grounds, you are commissioning more projects. Indeed, it gives concern. What is the magic?”.
Recalling how the APC-led opposition did everything within their powers to undermine the infrastructural development programmes of the governor when he started, the former lawmaker said the APC soon lost its steam after the governor’s progress shut them up.
“When you started, what your critics were saying was that even what you are doing; you are just working in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor. You immediately started commissioning projects in Eleme, Tai, Gokana, Khana, Akuku-Toru, Ikwerre, Emohua, and many other local governments, then, they kept quiet”, he said.
Opara noted that the announcement that the state government would build a Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Centre worth N25billion was already gladdening the minds of Rivers people to the consternation of the opposition.
He, thus, called on the federal government to send a delegation to understudy the secret of Governor Wike’s success in projects’ delivery.
According to him, “In a civilized clime, the Federal Government should have sent a delegation to Rivers State to understudy Governor Wike’s government, to indeed, imbibe and learn what is the secret of his success.
“So, indeed, I urge the APC-led Federal Government to send a high-powered delegation to Rivers State to understudy the infrastructural revolution that is taking place in the state”, Opara added.
