The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on
Friday challenged the state Governor, Nyesom Wike to make the public the
state’s 2018 budget.
The party gave the call while warning that it won’t accept a repeat
of what happened in the past two years where Wike refused to make public
the state’s budgets.
Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Chris Finebone, noted
that Wike’s refusal to make the state’s budget public clearly “suggests
that he will continue ignoring the people and keep holding the state
budgets hostage.”
In a statement he signed, Finebone dared Wike
to follow the footstep of his predecessor and current Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi by making the 2018 budget public.
The statement reads, “Again, the Rivers State governor, Barr. Nyesom
Wike has presented a budget of N510 billion to the Rivers State House of
Assembly Thursday with the usual fanfare. Expectedly, so he did for
2016 and 2017. However, presentation of the budget proposals remains the
last Rivers citizens see of their actual budgets thereafter. All
attempts to compel the governor to make public the final appropriation
laws (budgets) have met the brick wall. This is at variance with what
obtains in all other states of Nigeria and the federal government where
budgets are easily placed in the public domain for everyone to access at
will.
“The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, will not
accept a repeat of what happened in the past two years where the
governor vehemently refused to make public the state’s budgets. We are
pleased to know that a coalition of civil society groups is already in
court to compel the Rivers State governor to make public the previous
state’s budgets. As a party, we will not refrain from lending a strong
voice to the clamour to give the public access to the state’s budgets.
“At the risk of sounding pessimistic, early signs already indicate
that Rivers people should not expect any cheery news from the present
budget proposal presented by Gov. Nyesom Wike last Thursday.
“In his budget proposal presentation speech, nothing suggested that
the budget will be placed in public space this time around as the
governor made no comments on the clamour by the people to be given
access to their budgets. His refusal to react to that clamour clearly
suggests that he will continue ignoring the people and keep holding the
state budgets hostage.
“As a political party, the APC team of budget experts is carefully
studying the appropriation bill presented to the Rivers State House of
Assembly. However, we note that the actual kernel of a budget which the
team will be evaluating is whether all the processes the House should
put the bill through are conformed with because that is largely what
will legitimise the final outcome or invalidate it . Another is whether
this time around the final budget will be placed in public space just as
all other states in Nigeria including the federal government do.
“Meanwhile we will continue to ask why the present government has
refused to follow in the footsteps of all previous administrations in
Rivers State especially that of the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (in
which the present governor served as Chief of Staff) by placing the
state budgets in public space so that Rivers people and other critical
stakeholders can access them. Gov. Nyesom Wike needs to provide an
answer except if there is none and that will confirm our worst fears.”