Tinubu Explains Lobby Me if You Want Your Refund Comment, Hails Wike Devt Drive

The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has explained why he advised the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, to lobby him if he wants to get refunds for the monies expended by the state government in building flyovers and several other federal roads in the state.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Rumuokwuta-Rumuola flyover, Wike drew the attention of the federal government to the need to amend its procurement law in order to end incessant abandonment of projects, calling on the president-elect to look into the issue of the current procurement law of the federal government which only allows for about 15/30 percent to be paid as mobilisation fee to a contractor.

The governor said such infinitesimal mobilisation usually does not allow the contractor to make appreciably progress on the project before being caught up by inflation effects and high cost of materials, which eventually requires variation of the contract award sum as this ultimately leads to massive project failure across the country.

Governor Wike said he had to work with the state House of Assembly to amend the Rivers State procurement law which gave his administration the powers to pay an upward of 70 percent mobilisation fee to contractors handling various projects in the state and this has helped him in completion of various projects within the state, in record time.

Commenting on the 12th flyover bridge in the state, Wike stressed that ordinarily some of the flyovers are built on federal roads and the state should be refunded by the federal government.

He requested the incoming administration of Tinubu to consider a possible refund to the Rivers State.

According to him, “That is why today, no project being handled by Julius Berger is uncompleted. Recently, we are dualising Ahoada to Omoku to Egbema, with to our boundary with Imo State.

“Julius Berger is also dualising from Emohua, East West, to Degema Junction. How much did they charge us? It was about N80 billion. We fall back on our Internally Generated Revenue to take N4 billion to finish this road in 18 months. That is why we have never failed in completing our projects.

“Unfortunately, these projects are federal government’s roads. We don’t want our people to suffer. I believe the federal government should say ‘let us refund these monies’.

“I assure you, as you enter office and approve to pay these monies back, other states will also do the same thing. So that (refund) is the first request we are making to you.”

While responding, the president-elect jokingly advised the governor to come and lobby him if he wants to get his refund for the flyovers.

Tinubu said: “On the demand you made for refund, I owe you nothing. It’s your road. You’re the one living on these roads. I commend your efforts. You have to lobby me to collect.”

Going further, the president-elect attested to the character of candor and integrity of the governor.

According to him, “In His Excellency (Nyesom Ezenwo Wike), I see a man of principle; he took a principle stand that the presidency must return to South and he had the courage to stand by his conviction, not minding whose horse is gored. He is indeed a man of great integrity; he did not choose to serve his own interest. Not about him, rather the interest of the country. You promoted unity, you promoted fairness, and you championed justice. Thank you.”

He commended the audacity demonstrated by Wike in delivering quality projects to Rivers people in record time. He went further to thank the governor for his contribution towards his electoral victory.

“Nyesom, I say thank you for your contribution to my victory. I couldn’t have done it without some structural support,” Tinubu said.

Speaking also at the unveiling of the 24 court room Justice Iche Ndu Magistrate court complex, Tinubu took a different perspective to the enormous work and the tales of massive welfare done by the state governor for the state judiciary.

At the day-two ceremony, he said: “To look at a different angle to what Wike has done here today, he is fighting corruption. This is the way to fight corruption. You don’t expect your Judges to operate and dispense justice in squalour. This is part of the changes necessary in our policy think-tank. We must fight corruption, looking at the other side of the coin. If you don’t want your Judges to be corrupt, pay attention to their welfare. You want fair dispensation of justice, then don’t let them work in hazardous conditions. Let’s think value for value. If I don’t have consumer credit and you want me to pay for the car I needed, at say N5 million, or N6 million, that’s very big temptation for corruption. But if you have consumer credit, that will reduce the propensity for corruption.”

Meanwhile, in what seemed like a death knell to the petition of the APC against the Rivers State governor, the president-elect, who is also the APC national leader, also congratulated the Rivers State governor-elect, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for his electoral victory at the gubernatorial polls.

Describing the Rumuokwuta-Rumuola project, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr. George-Kelly Dakorinama Alabo, said the Rumuokwuta/Rumuola Flyover Bridge is 1007.5 meters long, completed in eight month instead of 10 months and delivered to eliminate traffic congestion by 98 percent in the state.

Some of the dignitaries present at the occasion included the wife of the Rivers State governor, Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; governors of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Muhammadu Badaru (Jigawa), David Umahi (Ebonyi), and Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo), as well as the Rivers State governor elect and his deputy elect.

Others are former governors of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili; Chief Timipre Sylva, Chief Bisi Akande (Osun), Chief James Ibori (Delta), Chief Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Adams Oshiomhole, among others.