President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to lobby him for the refund of the funds he spent on federal roads.
Wike had asked Tinubu ensure that the state government gets back the money it spent to fix federal roads when he assumes office from May 29, 2023.
Tinubu who responded to the request during the inauguration of the Rumuola-Rumuokwuta Flyover in Port Harcourt, said the federal government under his administration owes no obligation to make refunds on federal projects undertaken by states of the federation.
The president-elect, who is on a two-day visit to Rivers State, however, told the governor that he could reconsider his stance on the request on condition that the governor lobbies him.
He said, “On the demand you made for refund, I owe you nothing. It’s your road. You’re the one living on these roads. I commend your efforts. You have to lobby me to collect.
“My visit to Rivers is a promise kept, promise fulfilled. If you talk of character, Governor Nyesom Wike you are very dependable.
“In Wike, I see a man of principle. He took a stand that the Presidency must return to South. And he had the courage to stand by his conviction, not minding whose ox is gored.
“He is indeed a man of great integrity. You promoted unity, promoted fairness, you championed justice.
“To commission this project today is another way of building bridges across Nigeria which cannot be overstated. It is on the strength of your character that I stand to fulfill the promise I made during the campaigns. I’m happy we have been able to establish a relationship.
“I’m a very happy man. As you make people happy, create excitement and development across this state, we have something to look forward to in Nigeria.”
Earlier in his speech, Wike justified the request and why his administration has been able to deliver a number of major projects seamlessly.
Wike said, “Part of why we are having uncompleted projects have to do with our procurement laws. If you follow the procurement law, it will take very long to complete projects.
“How much does the procurement law, I mean for federal, says, 15 to 30 percent (mobilisation). When you give a contractor 15 percent, inflation is rising almost everyday, before you give another money they will call for variation because of increasing cost of materials.
“In our own case, I call Mr Speaker, to say we can’t continue with this. We had to amend our own procurement law to give us the latitude to pay 70 percent to a company we know has the capacity to deliver within time.”
“That is why today, no project being handled by Julius Berger (JB) is uncompleted. Recently we are dualising Ahoada to Omoku to Egbema, with to our boundary with Imo state. Julius Berger is doing that work. We also dualising from Emohua, East West, to Degema Junction, also by Julius Berger.
“How much did they charge us, about N80Bn. We fall back on our Internally Generated Revenue, to say every month, take N4Bn, finish this road in 18months. That is why we have never failed in completing our projects.
“Unfortunately, these projects are FG roads. We don’t want our people to suffer. I believe FG government should say let us refund these money.
“I assure you, as you enter office and approve to pay these monies back, other states will also do same thing. So that (refund) is the first request we are making to you.”
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), has called on Tinubu to consider Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, for the position of either minister of works or minister of transportation.
It said Rivers State deserves to be given two ministerial position in the incoming administration, being the only state the South South geopolitical zone to deliver the President-elect through the directive and instrumentality of the state governor.
MOSIEND national president, Kennedy West, spoke with journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, while awaiting the arrival of the president-elect to Rivers State
Tinubu is on a two-day working visit to Rivers State, which is the first state he is visiting officially after he was declared winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
The MOSIEND President described Wike’s performance in infrastructure as “impressive unparalleled.”
West stated that drafting outgoing Rivers State governor into Tinubu’s team will add tremendous value to his government of national unity.
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