From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said allocation of basic and social amenities by the Federal Government to states should be devoid of politics.
He stated this yesterday at Government House, Port Harcourt, during the inauguration of fighting truck, water tanker and basic life-support ambulance for the Federal Fire Service.
He said the deployment of the fire fighting trucks and ambulance by Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, would help in efforts to protect lives and property in the state.
He decried the distribution of basic infrastructural projects and social amenities to states by the Federal Government on the basis of political affiliation, describing the trend as bane of the country’s development.
The governor said denying states that are not politically aligned to the Federal Government basic and social amenities only retards the progress of the country. The governor lauded Aregbesola for rising above petty politics to identify with the state, saying states and federal governments ought to compliment each other for the growth and development of the country. He said most of the recent incidents of fire outbreaks in the state, and elsewhere in the country, were mainly due to negligence. He lamented that Nigerians were increasingly becoming nonchalant about safety issues and called for attitudinal change. He announced the donation of two utility vehicles and N5 million monthly subvention to the Federal Fire Service in the state in order to enhance their operational capability. Aregbesola, in his speech, urged states to consider the issue of fire prevention and safety as matter of serious concern.
The minister, represented by his special assistant, Mr. Bola Ilori, explained that the deployment of the fire fighting truck, tanker and ambulance to Rivers State was in recognition of the strategic importance of the state to the country.