• Says we’re re-positioning Rivers health sector
Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that governments, at all levels, should partner traditional rulers for the development of the country.
Speaking when he granted audience to members of the coordinating committee of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria yesterday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Wike said the country would have made more progress if traditional rulers were allowed to partner government.
He said: “Everybody has one traditional ruler or the other. Therefore, we must respect traditional rulers who can summon anyone, irrespective of his/her status.”
The governor noted that in modern times, it is unwise to attempt to restrict traditional rulers to traditional matters.
Welcoming the traditional rulers who are in Rivers State for their general assembly, Wike thanked them for choosing the state for their meeting.
The governor stated that Rivers people remain committed to the unity of the country.
“For us, as a people, the unity of Nigeria is very imperative. It is important we promote unity because we cannot toy with it,” Wike said.
Co-Chairman of the traditional rulers council, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, said the unity of the country should be the watchword at this crucial time of the nation’s history.
He said all Nigerians shouldt work hard to ensure the unity of the country is preserved.
He noted that since the traditional rulers are closer to the people, they should be incorporated in the governance process, especially the process of development.
According to him, traditional rulers have key roles to play in the future of the country, especially reducing tension.
Also speaking, Chairman of the council, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, thanked the Rivers State Government for hosting traditional rulers from the 36 states of the federation.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike, has said the process for the re-positioning of the state health sector is effectively on course, with the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment for Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH).
Wike also declared that the rehabilitation of structures at the BMSH would create the right environment for quality tertiary healthcare.
He declared this yesterday, in an interview with journalists, after an inspection visit to the hospital in Port Harcourt, saying that the health sector would continue to receive priority attention from his administration.
The governor, who was accompanied on the project inspection by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, said majority of the equipment procured for the hospital have arrived.
He said: “Our objective is to improve the standard of the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital as a centre of excellence in tertiary healthcare.
“In terms of equipment, the contractors have done well. Eighty percent of the equipment have arrived the hospital premises and they will be installed as soon as the rehabilitation begins.”
