I will use N30bn loan to develop Rivers –Wike

AMAECHI OKONKWO, PH

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that the state government’s N30 billion loan will be used to develop the state.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the governor, Mr Opunabo Inko-Tariah, told newsmen in Port Harcourt, yesterday, that insinuations by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Governor Nyesom Wike intends to borrow N100 billion were untrue.

He said there were compelling needs to be attended to and government had no option than to take the loan.

“The governor’s actions were based on the necessity, the importance of the project to Rivers people and not whether he will take the credit or not for completing the project,” he said.

He said that the courts and Assembly complexes were shut for close to two years and there was need to renovate them.

“There are so many projects that were abandoned because the contractors were not paid by the previous administration and some of the projects are very important to Rivers people.

“Also, the governor has ordered that the April and May salaries of civil servants be paid,” he said.

The governor’s spokesman said government was also reviving payment of overheads to ministries and parastatals.

According to him, government needs the money to kick-start and that is why the governor is seeking the loan.

He said the Wike administration did not inherit money from the previous administration and that it had to meet the needs of the people.

“The demands are much greater than the resources available,” Inko-Tariah said.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State government on Thursday restated its commitment to shore-up the state’s internally generated revenue base.

The Finance Commissioner, Dr. Fred Kpakol, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that government’s resolve followed the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account.

Kpakol said the government would do everything possible to ensure that business owners and taxable citizens paid their taxes.

He further said the government had evolved ways of strengthening its revenue drive to ensure compliance.

The commissioner urged the business community to live up to their responsibilities by paying their taxes promptly.

“We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that those who do business in our state paid their taxes. We really need to raise money to provide services for our people.

“We are not witch-hunting anybody. We are only carrying out our legitimate responsibility of providing good governance in the state”, the statement quoted the commissioner as saying.