Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State has tackled the Federal Government over the N10bn intervention ti gave to Lagos State.
He wondered why such a gesture is limited to Lagos when, according to him,Rivers State is the oil-producing hub of the country.
He also argued that it was not only Lagos that was involved in the battle against coronavirus.
the fg announced the intervention for Lagos, which is the epic centre of the pandemic – with 115 positive cases now.
Wike said during a broadcast:
“It is quite unfortunate that the containment of coronavirus has been politicized by the Federal Government. While Lagos State received a grant of N10billion as a commercial hub, Rivers State as the nation’s oil and gas hub that produces a greater percentage of the nation’s wealth has not received any support from the Federal Government.
“One wonders why Federal Government should single out a state out of 36 States to give support. Does it mean that support will come when a State has a record of over 50 infected persons before it gets support. No state should be seen as more important than any other state. This is a Federal Republic. No state is superior to others.
“Rivers State is entitled to support from the Federal Government. Every day, we are inundated with letters from the Federal Government to allow oil companies to fly in expatriates to drill Oil. Then we ask, what is the status of those coming from Lagos? Nobody has told us their status as regards coronavirus. If they come to come Rivers without us knowing their status, what will be implication assuming they have the virus.”
There has been disquiet among some stakeholders, with the Anambra State Governor Wlilie Obiano recently asking the FG to give him a billion naira to wage the war.
Also, there have been questions over how the government is disbursing palliative money to the poor.
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