From Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State governor, Nyesom  Wike, has said his administration has shown that through budgetary integrity, commitment and prudence management of resources  nothing is too difficult to achieve in governance for Nigerians.

The governor stated this, yesterday, at the inauguration of the Dr. Peter Odili Cancer Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in Port Harcourt, by the  Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero.

Wike said his administration had delivered the centre for the  Rivers people and Nigerians at large within the agreed timeline of 14 months.

  He said one of the reasons projects undertaken by the Federal Government take years to be completed was because the National Assembly often allocate paltry sums to such projects even when members know such amounts were  grossly inadequate to completing the projects.

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Wike said it was such practice that has continued to encourage the abandonment of projects and promoted inadequacy in terms of governance, project delivery and public service.

“For a project that will cost N26 billion, you are putting N500 million in the budget for one year. Then, it will now take  you more than 20 years to achieve it. By then, the cost will move up from N26 billion to one and hundred and something billion. That is why you see in this country abandonment of projects. If we are serious in this country to say that we will get the best, I can tell you that it is not impossible.”

Wike said the people of Rivers State deserved the best, which is why the best quality was delivered at the cancer health centre, just like similar projects delivered by his administration in the state.

He mocked those who said they had set out to build the Justice Karibi Whyte Hospital but never completed it despite the allocation of huge funds for the project.

He explained that the facility was named after Dr. Peter Odili because he is one Rivers leader who had operated one if the best clinics in the state, served as governor meritoriously and now contributing to medical education in the state.