Posted by By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt on
The governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration has saved a total sum of N116 billion for the state out of a total sum of N349 billion allocation accrued to the state in the past one year.
The governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration has saved a total sum of N116 billion for the state out of a total sum of N349 billion allocation accrued to the state in the past one year.
Out of the amount, N93.8billion was from excess crude, N10 billion has been saved for the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST, new campus. The Statutory Reserved Fund between May 2008 and October 2008, while N6billion has been saved for the state as the mandatory monthly savings.
The governor regretted that there has not been an appreciable increase in the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, in the state, and cautioned Rivers people to brace up for the austerity measures next year, in response to the global economic crisis.
He also hinted that unless the state is not going to be seriously affected by the global economic crisis, the state government may be forced to scale down and prioritize its projects to cope with economic realities.
The governor pledged that none of the projects started by his administration would be abandoned.
However, Amaechi shocked Rivers people during the stakeholders meeting on Tuesday, when he revealed his frustration in getting across to one of his commissioners, Dr (Mrs.) Doris Fisher, in charge of water resources, on phone to ask her to reschedule the meeting with the visiting foreign partners who want to work with the state's water master plan.
In the words of governor Amaechi:'I have been calling the commissioner of water resources since morning, the phones will ring and she won't pick her calls.'
Although the governor did not betray his emotions in response to a question asked by a member of the public about what his administration has been doing to provide potable water to their various homes.
The commissioner was obviously not at the venue of the 'Accountability Forum' to mark the governor's one year in office. As a result, the governor had to be on the driver's seat to answer all questions concerning the provision of water by his administration.