Rivers Govt Defends N30bn Loan

Secretary to Rivers State Government, Mr Kenneth Kobani, has said that the N30 billion loan approved by the state House of Assembly for the state government would be used to rehabilitate and re-construct roads. Kobani, in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said that the loan would also fund the government’s “Zero Pothole” campaign and offset salary arrears of civil servants and pensioners. He said that the state government was pursuing a robust road rehabilitation and reconstruction drive to
ease the sufferings of road users. “Rivers State Government sent a request to the state House of Assembly to fund key infrastructures that needed urgent attention. The first N10 billion is currently being used by Julius Berger and CCECC construction companies for the state government’s Zero Pothole campaign in Port Harcourt. “Other funds will be used to complete strategic projects that were left by the previous administration. They include Woji/Akpajo Road and bridge projects, among others,” he said. Kobani, while reacting to critics of the loans, said that the government was forced to borrow because the roads were in bad conditions. According to him, every project being embarked upon by the current government is considered to be one that would have great impact on the people.