Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said his administration, over the last three years, has delivered an open, transparent and accountable government.

He said his administration has  transformed governance from the failures of the past to one that cares and works for the people.

Wike said his administration is delivering on its campaign promises and improving the living standards of Rivers people, through quality projects and programmes.

Addressing Rivers stakeholders in Port Harcourt, yesterday, during the public presentation of his administration’s scorecard, as part of his third year anniversary, Wike said his administration has judiciously applied scarce resources for the benefit of Rivers people.

He said, through the achievements of his administration, the state has been lifted from the valleys of despair to the heights of hope.

He said: “It is clear that, in the last three years, our state has progressed at a rate it has never been.

“There is no doubt that the foundation we need to accelerate our development, create jobs and advance our prosperity has firmly been laid.

“We give profound thanks to God for these achievements. But, we also owe everything to you who are truly driving the change process with your unqualified support, encouragement and prayers.”
The governor said improvements in different sectors have changed the fortune of the state and securely placed it on the pedestal of sustained growth.

He said: “Before we assumed office we made a lot of promises. We have also invested time, efforts and resources to fulfil those promises.

“Lest we forget, we all know the state of our state, especially the very poor state of our economy, before we took over the mantle of leadership.  However, despite the challenges, we remained undaunted, focused and determined to make the difference we had promised.”

Wike noted that his investments in road infrastructure has yielded positive results and improved the economy of the state through programmed connectivity.

“As at today, we have delivered, tremendously, on all the components of the SRDP. For instance, in the last three years, we have consistently invested about 70 percent of capital expenditure on the provision of road infrastructure.

“This has resulted in clearing most of the state roads of potholes, under our Operation zero pothole programme. We have also completed 23 out of the 26 strategic road projects inherited from the previous administration and completed 72 out of the 83 new strategic road projects we initiated, while the remainders are at various stages of completion. We’ve built over 10 bridges within and outside the state capital, connecting towns and communities and renewed as well as improved the roads in several urban neighbourhoods in the state capital, thereby reviving the social and economic life of residents of these areas.”

He said in the last three years, advancing education in the state was another promise the administration  has kept with budgetary allocation increased from five percent, in 2014, to over 10 percent, in 2018.
In the justice sector, Wike noted that his administration opened the courts, defended the judiciary and developed Rivers into a regional judicial hub.

“As a matter of fact, we did not promise to intervene in federal courts in the state, but, we have built and furnished the most modern courthouses in the country for the Port Harcourt Divisions of the Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court.