AMAECHI: NASS SHOULD SUMMON FINANCE MINISTER OVER WORLD BANK LOANS FOR WATER PROJECTS IN RIVERS STATE Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has called on the House of Representatives to summon the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Minister of Water Resources, Stella Ochekpe and investigate the circumstances surrounding the seizure of the World Bank and African Development Bank (ADB) loans approved by the National Assembly for the provision of potable drinking water to the people of Rivers State. Amaechi spoke Monday when the House Committee on Water Resources accompanied by Executive Directors of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority paid him a courtesy visit at Government House in Port Harcourt. He said the Rivers State Government has fulfilled all requirements to receive and benefit from the loan scheme with the World Bank and ADB, saying 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. According to him, “the people who are dying and deprived of the potable drinking water are Rivers people who don’t have water in their homes.” “It is embarrassing; completely embarrassing for somebody who has been Managing Director of World Bank to neglect the impact water has on the citizenry. 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.” He complained that the National Assembly has approved it, and the state has fulfilled all requirements with the World Bank and African Development Bank (ADB), and the state is at the point of release of the funds for execution of the water projects in the state but Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has refused to allow the release of the funds to us”, Amaechi said. The State Chief Executive also explained the inherent danger and implications behind the seizure of the funds by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala against the welfare and living standard of Rivers people.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 01:39:28 +0000
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