A former governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Udengs Eradiri, has said the work of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja shows how many state governors are not doing well.
Eradiri, who was once the President of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, said Wike has changed the Federal Capital Territory with the resources he has in less than four years.
In a statement made in Port Harcourt on Sunday, the former IYC president said Wike has closed the gap in development between Abuja city and its surrounding towns.
The statement said, “Wike’s performance has taught us that the problems of underdevelopment in Nigeria have little or nothing to do with the Federal Government, but a lot to do with many state governors and local government chairmen, who deliberately misuse, misappropriate and misdirect the enormous resources accruing to their states.
“Most of these governors have shown no commitment, dedication, desire or passion to execute people-oriented infrastructural projects capable of transforming their states and improving the lives of the people.
“They are only driven by their selfish and family interests, and they see the commonwealth of the state as their personal resources.”
Eradiri said Wike’s work has set a standard for judging the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He noted that in the last 30 days, the minister and the President have been opening completed projects and starting new ones across the FCT and its surrounding towns.
He added that Wike’s drive for development has helped him overcome bureaucratic and procurement issues. This ensures that contractors complete projects on time and as promised.
“Wike’s projects are designed to touch the lives of the common people, develop rural areas and make everybody see and enjoy the true benefits of democracy. His developmental goals include finishing projects that were left for many years before President Tinubu’s administration and keeping the President’s promises to the people.
“If a minister could deliver so many impactful, people-focused and high-quality projects in one term, why are many governors failing to change their states despite the large resources available to them, especially under President Tinubu’s administration?
“Why do we still have so many abandoned projects in states, with many communities suffering in poverty without roads?
“Why do we still have communities without basic services like electricity, working primary healthcare centres and clean water? The truth is that most of these governors are not capable and should not be in charge,” Eradiri said.
He said that Wike’s performance in the FCT should remind Nigerians to hold their governors accountable. He also urged people to resist efforts by state governments to blame the Federal Government for their failures.
Eradiri said, “With the large revenue allocations coming to the states after President Tinubu’s economic reforms, the people should not accept any excuses for poor performance from their governors. No governor should hide behind rising costs or exchange rate issues to deceive the public.
“It is in the same economic situation and challenges that Minister Wike is bringing good to the people and changing both the FCT and its surrounding towns. It is time for governors to turn their groundbreaking events into real project openings like Wike has been doing.”
He called on governors to use the increased revenues to fix infrastructure issues in both city and rural areas.
“They should show how they are using the revenue increase by delivering real projects like the FCT minister has done in Abuja. The people will no longer accept excuses,” he added.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇