THE Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi
Amaechi, has called on the House of Representatives to probe the
Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Minister of Water
Resources, Stella Ochekpe over the alleged seizure of the World Bank and
African Development Bank loans approved by the National Assembly for
the state.
Amaechi spoke on Monday when the House
Committee on Water Resources accompanied by the Executive Directors of
the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority paid him a courtesy visit at
the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The governor said the Rivers State
Government had fulfilled all requirements to receive and benefit from
the loan scheme with the World Bank and ADB.
He added that his administration was
ready to allow the Minister of Finance award the contract to any person
of her choice to provide potable drinking water for the citizenry in the
state.
“The people who are dying and deprived of the potable drinking water are Rivers people who don’t have water in their homes.
“We are prepared to allow the Minister
of Finance (Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala) to award the contract to any person she
wants to. We are only interested in the provision of potable drinking
water for our people.
“The Minister of Finance, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, is using her position to undermine the safety and health
of the people of Rivers State. I can’t afford to give all Rivers people
bottled water, but all I can assure you is to ensure the provision of
potable water.
“But the Minister of Finance has refused
to release it and I think I should put that before you (House Committee
on Water Resources). They want Rivers people to die.”
Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee
on Water Resources in the House of Representatives, Mr. Aliyu Pategi,
said the committee was in the state to verify the execution of various
water projects in the state.
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