3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 2019 BUDGET SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF NYESOM EZENWO WIKE, CON, GSSRS, POS (AFRICA), THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR, RIVERS STATE ON THE OCCASION OF BUDGET PRESENTATION TO THE RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. Mr Speaker, Principal Officers of the House, Honourable Members, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my privilege and joy to stand before this great Assembly to present the First Budget Estimates of our second term administration being the Budget for the 2019 Fiscal Year. 2. It is demanded of every conscientious and people-oriented Government to account for its stewardship and also provide a road map for future activities and engagements. This 2019 Budget meets these criteria. It provides a detailed account of our stewardship for the past three years of our Administration and in particular, the year 2018 in relation to our electioneering promises to our people and more importantly, provides the vision, articulates the mission and directs the energies of the Government and our people for the upcoming year. 3. On this note, Mr. Speaker, the 2019 Budget has been christened ''the Budget of Re-evaluation for a New Beginning”. Re- evaluation in the sense that having made remarkable progress in the fulfilment of our campaign promises to our dear people of Rivers State in the areas of infrastructure, security, education, health, youth employment and women empowerment, agriculture, human capital development as well as social welfare; it is wise for us to pause and examine our efforts and chart a new course for a new beginning. This entails evolving an effective administrative framework alongside a realistic fiscal plan to consolidate on our achievements and explore new windows for an even development of our State. xxii 14 4. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, may I remind you that we met a State inundated with gross deficiencies in the basic infrastructure which manifested in the limited number of road networks, deplorable roads, poor housing, epileptic electric power, poor water and sanitation, low pace of economic activities, unprecedented youth unemployment, youth restiveness, poorly equipped health care facilities, debased workforce and near institutional collapse compounded by insecurity of lives and property. The need to vigorously change the tide and restore our State on the part of sustainable economic growth and development preoccupied our Administration upon assumption of office on May 29, 2015. 5. Mr. Speaker, the need to consolidate the gains of 2015 in infrastructural development, security, health, education, human capacity development and institution strengthening became apparent in 2016. 6. Mr. Speaker, 2017 was a very unique and memorable one for being the year of the State's 50th Anniversary Celebration. It witnessed impressive results in the major policy thrust of the State indicating excellence in vision setting, vigour in mission pursuit and efficiency in goal realization, hence the need to further strengthen institutional framework for sustainable achievement while opening new windows for infrastructural and human capital development initiatives. This Mr. Speaker, was the major concern of the Golden Jubilee Budget for accelerated development in 2017. 7. In 2018 Mr. Speaker, the achievements made thus far by this Administration is evidenced by the numerous roads across the length and breadth of the State, improved availability and accessibility of health facilities, increased productivity and industrialization founded on adequate security of lives and property. We are certain that this Administration has brought succour to our people through empowerment resulting in increased productivity. We have equally laid the foundation for the inflow of both local and foreign investments into our dear State. Furthermore, there has been job creation for our youths, much more, we have provided the enabling environment for individual creativity and ingenuity to thrive. xxiii 15 8. Nevertheless, we are aware of the fact that we are yet to quench the thirst of our people for a qualitative life and better socio-economic growth and development resulting from a prolonged period of neglect, economic deprivation and extreme exploitation and exploration of our natural resources without commensurate benefits. It is the commitment of this Administration to continue to do our utmost for the development of our environment and people. 9. Mr. Speaker, it may interest you to know that in the area of education, we have reconstructed and renovated over 250 primary schools across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State. The list includes State School, Umudu – Eberi in Omuma Local Government Area, Community Primary School, B – Dere in Gokhana Local Government Area, Community Secondary School, Epelema in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government, State Schools 1 & 2 Obonoma in Akuku – Toru Local Government Area, Government Primary School Udoda, in Ahoada West Local Government Area, State School 2 Alesa Eleme in Eleme Local Government Area, Community Secondary School Ozuzu, Etche Local Government Area, State School Uelema in Asari – Toru Local Government Area, among others. These however, are in addition to the radical transformation going on in our higher institutions including the introduction of new faculties and departments and the accreditation of more courses such as the College of Medicine, Social Sciences and Humanities in the present Rivers State University; and Faculty of Environmental Sciences in the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. Mr. Speaker, very dramatic and unprecedented transformations are equally taking place in our Polytechnics with befitting infrastructure to accommodate the ever increasing population of young people seeking admission into the various institutions of higher learning. 10. Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, we have also done tremendously well in our Health Sector. According to the true saying “a healthy man is a wealthy man”,we realized that the health of the people of Rivers State is our wealth. As a result, this Administration has taken a pragmatic approach towards providing qualitative and accessible health care services to our people in the bid to fulfil our electioneering promises and deliver the dividends of democracy. We have continued to renovate, upgrade and build new health care facilities in all the 23 Local Government Areas of the State. xxiv 16 11. We have renovated and upgraded the following Primary Health Centres to enhance service delivery: o Model Primary Health Centre, Ozuoba o Model Primary Health Centre, Rumuodumaya o Model Primary Health Centre, Potts Johnson Street o Model Primary Health Centre, Eneka o Model Primary Health Centre, Okuru ama o Model Primary Health Centre, Elekahia o Model Primary Health Centre, Mkpolu o Model Primary Health Centre, Mgbudukwu 12. In the area of secondary health care delivery, it is clear that our people are happy that indeed we have fulfilled our promises as we have completed the reconstruction and renovation of the under listed General Hospitals. o Abua General Hospital in Abua/Odual Local Government Area o Nchia General Hospital in Eleme Local Government Area o Neuro Psychiatric Hospital in Rumuigbo, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area o Abonnema General Hospital in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area o Bodo General Hospital in Gokana Local Government Area o Opobo General Hospital in Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area o Ngo General Hospital in Andoni Local Government Area o Emohua General Hospital in Emohua Local Government Area o Buguma General Hospital in Asari-Toru Local Government Area xxv 17 o Eberi General Hospital in Omuma Local Government Area o Okrika General Hospital in Okrika Local Government Area and o Isiokpo General Hospital in Ikwerre Local Government Area 13. Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, we have completed and delivered the building of Mother and Child Ultra-Modern Hospital at the Air Force Base Rumuomasi in addition to twenty two (22) three (3) bedroom residential quarters in the Government Reservation Area of Port Harcourt for medical personnel. Our goal, Mr. Speaker, is to achieve the World Health Doctor/PatientsAttendant Ratio of one doctor to not more than 20 patients in a day and the travelling access to health facilities of not more than five minutes in the case of an emergency. Consequently, we have embarked on the reconstruction and completion of the zonal hospitals at Ahoada, Bori, Degema and Okehi with scope of work in our health facilities covering the Male, Female and Children Wards, the Administrative Buildings, Staff Quarters including Doctors and Nurses, Kitchen and Laundry, the Pharmacy and Laboratories, the Theatre, Pathology, X-Ray and Casualty Units, the Antenatal and Out-Patients units and the external walk ways and drainages. 14. Mr. Speaker and Members, we desire to simplify the administrative bureaucracy to ensure easy and hitch-free access to qualitative health care. Accordingly, we have cleared the salary arrears of health workers, increased funding, transferred the salary pay point to Primary Health Care Management Board, strengthened the cold chain system and introduced a Community-based Health Insurance Scheme. We have strengthened and enhanced the capacity of our health workers and the relevant institutional framework necessary to equip and reposition our health workers and institutions to meet the global health challenges of the twenty-first century. 15. In our endeavours at growing the economy through increased productivity, commerce, empowerment and job creation,