Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, has appealed to his critics to allow him determine projects for the state.
The governor who spoke at the flag-off of Rumuepirikom flyover on Wednesday said he was elected to superintend over affairs of the state not those who had lost in election. He also said he was determining projects for the interest of the state.
The governor said: “Anybody who uses this road would know how congested this place is. You are going to the airport you will follow here. You are going to the University you will follow here. So how can anybody who knows Rivers State say that the flyover here is needless. I’m the one who would determine what is necessary or not. I’m the one that Rivers people voted for to superintend over affairs of the state.”
The governor further said: “You cannot determine because if Rivers people wanted you to determine, they would have voted for you”.
He said that there was need for the flyover in the area.
He also said that he should be allowed to determine projects for the state saying he was determining projects for the interest of the state.
He directed the contractor handling the project to finish within twelve months.
He said that his government was serious about project and would complete the flyover before he leaves office.
He urged the people of the area not to disrupt the activities of the company handling the project and warned traditional rulers not to summon the contracting firm.
He said if there was need to summon the company, they should rather inform the government about it.
He told the youth not to harass the company saying he wants the project completed according to schedule.
He however told the company to involve the indigenes as it does construction work.
“If there is anything the company is not doing well let the government know. Let the Commissioner of Works know,” he said.
He said there would be fair process of getting Community Liaison Officers for the project.
He said the fact the project was to be flagged-off by former NBA president meant his critics would be disproved.
He said as former President of Nigerian Bar Association Chief OCJ Okocha’s coming to flag-off the project would hold credence.
He said the former NBA president was to later commission roads in Old Government Reservation Area.
He had expressed appreciation to his people for the welcome and said that his people had made sacrifice for people of the state.
The governor directed Julius Berger, the company handling the project, to complete all internal roads in his area.
He said that his community has much political value in politics of the state.
He said he would have brought development to the community but for the lack of land saying that “if my people knew they would produce governor in this ward, they wouldn’t have sold all their land”.
He said that he could not bring development to the area because there was no land.
