Rivers state received N1.5trn in 9 years – ‘Kano got N285b in same period’
The CBN governor was a special guest to the Rivers State government at a gala night that was part of sessions lined up for Rivers State investors’ forum which held at the government house in Port Harcourt. “We have to recognize that it is not easy to think of Nigerian States today as having one […]
The CBN governor was a special guest to the Rivers State government at a gala night that was part of sessions lined up for Rivers State investors’ forum which held at the government house in Port Harcourt. “We have to recognize that it is not easy to think of Nigerian States today as having one difficulty. While one state seems to have a problem with too much money, other states have problems with too little money. So before we go out praising governor Amaechi for all what he had done, you need to know how much money Rivers State has been getting compared to other parts of the country.”
Sanusi continued: “I did some analysis of the money that was gotten and distributed. This does not add the excess oil governor Amaechi is getting from Akwa Ibom. It is interesting when you look at the fund allocation, derivation and population. Now look at the numbers between 1999 and 2008, I found that Rivers State for example, received a total of N1 trillion and 52 billion. And that is on an average based on the population numbers of 2006 of N202, 506 per head. And I took a state like Kano with a population of over 9 million and over the same period, it received N285 billion at the average of N 30, 000 per head. Rivers is one example. Now take a state like Bayelsa with a population of a little over one million received N660 billion over the same period.”
Amaechi didn’t allow Sanusi’s remark to go without reaction as he was quick to say in his speech that Rivers spends about N7.8 billion monthly on salaries, pension, gratuity and others. He also said that the cost of road construction in Rivers State is far too expensive compared to Kano because the latter’s climate is more favourable.
By assessments of Weekly Trust correspondents, projects across the Niger Delta do not justify the funds allotted there and there are always allegations of corruption. In some cases, NDDC and state government officials keep dragging over executed projects, each claiming it executed the same projects.