Minister lauds Wike for “radical urban renewal”
Wike asks for more refunds as Fasola commissions Rebisi Flyover
By Egufe Yafugborhi – Port Harcourt
Against growing public doubts, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Saturday confirmed that Governor Nyesom Wike has not received a kobo on recent N78Billion approved by Federal Government (FG) as a refund to Rivers state for federal projects delivered by the state.
Fashola who was in Port Harcourt to commission the Rebisi Flyover completed by the Wike administration, four months ahead of schedule, lauded the Rivers Governor for “radical urban renewal.”
The former Lagos governor told stakeholders on the occasion, “It was the initiative of President Mohammadu Buhari to refund to states monies they have spent on federal roads and it was done across party lines without discrimination.
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“But don’t leave here and he (Wike) has received N78Billion, not yet. It still has to go to the National Assembly because this is part of Nigeria’s borrowing plan, part of the debt that you hear government borrow. It is coming back into development”
The minister also dismissed the allegation that Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi was opposed to the refund approval to Rivers, affirming that the former Rivers Governor instead champion the refund.
On alleged Governor Wike’s reference to the absence of federal presence in Rivers, Fasola said such notion was no longer tenable, with works ongoing on milestone N120Billion Bodo-Bonny Road and the Port Harcourt Aba Expressway.
Shortly before cutting the tapes to declare the Rebisi Flyover open, the works and housing minister said, “Having gone round to see some of the projects Wike is delivering, what I have witnessed is massive urban regeneration and renewal in Rivers”
Wike in his remarks on the occasion urged the minister to appeal to President Buhari to approve even more refunds to Rivers based on continued massive upgrades of federal roads in the state including the Rebisi Flyover, four others nearing completion and a sixth in the works.