By Francis Ogwo
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has signed the state’s N448 billion 2021 Appropriation Bill into law.
Wike during the signing on Thursday which included seven other bills pledged full implementation towards provision of basic infrastructure in the state.
The governor noted that his administration is not relenting in the drive towards speedy development of the state.
Speaking also on the signing, Special Assistant to the Governor of Media, Kelvin Ebiri, named the other bills signed into law by the governor, as Rivers State Appropriation law, No. 25 of 2020, Rivers State Dehumanising and Harmful Traditional Practices (Abortion) (Amendment) law No. 11 of 2019, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (Amendment) law, No. 24 of 2020, Rivers State Security Trust Fund Law, No. 6 of 2020.
Others signed by the governor include: the Port Harcourt Polytechnic (Amendment) Law No. 13 of 2019, Rivers State Audit Law, No. 2 of 2020, Rivers State Violence, No 4 of 2020, and Rivers State Female Circumcision (Abolition) (Amendment) No No 9 of 2019.
On the complains by local governments of non-inclusion in on-going projects in their areas, Wike said such projects have been earmarked as special projects and would be completed unfailingly.
In his words: “So many people have asked why there are no projects in their area. We could not have, in our budget speech, named all the projects. But within the budget, there are many projects and those that cannot be named, we have to put them under special projects.
“Everybody should be rest assured that no local government will be left out as long as the implementation of this budget is concerned. What is important is that we will do all we can to make sure that this Appropriation Law is fully implemented, particularly as regards basic infrastructure that we are supposed to provide for our people,” Wike added.
Governor Wike applauded the efforts of members of the State Assembly in the speedy passage of the bill into law, stressing that it shows their devotion to the development of the state.
