From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to shut down the Bonny-Bille-Nembe Jetty in Port Harcourt, if there are reported cases of criminality or physical violence in the area.
Governor Wike said the zeal to provide an enabling environment for sea travellers and boost marine economy of the state, spurred his administration to remodel the once dilapidated jetty first built in the 1950s.
He stated this at the commissioning of the remodelled Bonny-Bille-Nembe Jetty by the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, at the weekend.
Governor Wike, said he decided to remodel the once filthy and disused jetty because he firmly believes that the people of the State deserve the best infrastructure required to boost economic activities and enhance the well-being of the people.
The governor noted that while government will not relent in providing infrastructure needed to create an enabling environment for business to thrive, it (government) would not tolerate criminal activities around the remodelled jetty.
He said: “Those of you too, who will use this place, don’t turn it to a place of criminality. If you do that, I will shut it down. I have no room for criminality and I want to tell anybody who cares”.
Governor Wike stated that he will not hesitate to shut down the jetty, if any passenger travelling to and fro Bonny, Nembe or Bille is reportedly kidnapped around the jetty.
He warned: “Don’t come here and kill people. Don’t come here and kidnap people. Don’t come here to act as thugs and criminals”.
The governor ordered the contractor to erect concrete wall around the jetty in order to make it inaccessible for non-travellers.
He also directed the Commissioner for Transport to ensure the departure and arrival hall at the jetty is furnished within the next two weeks.
Governor Wike reiterated that the hope for a better and prosperous Nigeria depends on the return of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to power in 2023, and urged the people to continue to support the party.
He further declared that the sterling accomplishments of his administration have silenced the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.
Governor of Sokoto State, Tambuwal, commended Governor Wike for judiciously applying the resources of the State to address pressing needs of the people.
Tambuwal expressed: “It is not just about earning revenues, be it revenues from FAAC or from IGR. It is about having the grace of God in applying those revenues to the needs of the people. That is what I see here happening in Rivers State”.
Governor Tambuwal said he has seen roads being constructed, hospitals being built and several other infrastructural development going on across the State.
He said Governor Wike has justified the confidence reposed on him by people of Rivers State.
He described the jetty as a very critical project that would go a long way to further make transportation easy and, in deed, easier for the people of the riverine communities of the State.
According to him, movement of goods and services would be made easier; businesses and safety of people would be improved.
He lauded: “You have done a lot in the area of human capital development. You have done a lot in the infrastructural development of the state and importantly bringing back security and safety of life in Rivers State. That is very key and that is very fundamental”.
On his part, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, advised the federal government to emulate Governor Wike in provision of basis amenities for Nigerians.
He described as preposterous the decision of the federal government to borrow money from bank accounts that have been dormant in the past three years.
Secondus noted: “It means that the country has gone to the lowest level if we can go to borrow money from unclaimed dividends and accounts that have not been used for three years.
“May be due to litigation, may be for one reason or the other, the accounts are not touched by the families. These are monies the federal government is ready now to borrow.
“They borrowed from China, they have borrowed from everywhere, Brazil. Now, I don’t think they are ready to give them more money. They have returned to poor people to borrow their money.
“Now, they should cease to borrow this money. The money is for the poor masses of this country. We in PDP, we are against it. Don’t touch the monies of the people. The accounts are individual accounts”.
Rivers State Commissioner of Transport, Mr. Osima Ginah, lauded Governor Wike for completion of the project which further would boost economic activities in the riverine communities of the State.
Ginah said the arrival and departure hall at the jetty could comfortably sit 100 passengers and has a security post and restaurant.