By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel
The House of Representatives has said it would investigate the probable exclusion of Rivers State from the list of states to benefit from the fresh federal government’s borrowings.
This is in reaction to the motion of urgent public importance submitted by Mr Solomon Bob, alleging that Rivers State was the only state out of the 36 states left out from the projects which the federal government is seeking fresh foreign loans to execute.
Being an oil-rich state that accounts for a large contribution to the nation’s account, Mr Bob said that it was discriminatory to exclude the state from the beneficiaries of states earmarked for projects.
Following this, the lower chamber has tasked its Committee on Aids and Loans to liaise with the presidency to include Rivers State in the loans if it is found to be the only state that has been excluded.
This came after the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Nyesom Wike on Monday at the Government House in Port Harcourt maintained that there are mounted attempts to frustrate federating states like Rivers from actualising the constitutional provisions that empower them to harness their resources and revenues.
He observed that Nigeria must encourage federating states to harness their resources and generate revenues, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) to advance their development.
“Look at the money that federal government has gone to borrow from the World Bank. Of all the projects, in all the states, federal government did not include Rivers State.
“Look at the list of projects that states will benefit from this money they’re borrowing from the World Bank, that they have sent to National Assembly for approval, the only states that are not benefitting is Rivers State.
“It is the prerogative of Mr President; if he says he does not like Rivers State, if the ruling party says they don’t like Rivers State, I won’t kill myself. But leave the one that the law says I should be the one to collect so that I will be able to develop my own state,” he stressed.
