Moses Ofodeme
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has doubted the sincerity of federal government to actually rehabilitate the comatose Port Harcourt refinery.
Wike was reacting to the approval of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the refinery by the Federal Executive Council, FEC.
Wike made this assertion on Wednesday, March 17, during a guest appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to the Governor, it is not the first time the Federal Government is making promises; many of which he says are yet to see the light of day.
“We have had a lot of promises, we have had a lot of talks and nothing has materialized,” Wike stated.
Wike said the news was nothing to make anyone jubilate. According to him, promises of this nature are only pointers to the fact that elections are around the corner.
“We have heard these promises and nothing has happened,” Wike stated.
He further opined that “If the refinery is going to work, it will improve a lot of economic activities, there will be employment for the people of the state. We will be happy but I am saying that we have had these promises and promises and nothing has happened.
“So, I don’t want to begin to say hallelujah. Let us wait and see what will happen based on the approval and the statement made by the minister of state, petroleum. We will hold him accountable for it.
“We know, even before the (APC) government came into being; they have promised a lot of things and later they come up to say because of these challenges and that; they are not able to fulfill them.
“We are going into 2023, so many promises will be made, so many approvals will be made.”
The governor said rather than jump in excitement regarding the approval by the Federal Executive Council, Nigerians must wait and see how the government acts on the rehabilitation exercise as promised.