It’s now time for politics of stomach infrastructure – Wike

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, says he is now ready to play the politics of ‘stomach infrastructure’, with his administration having fulfilled almost all of its promises to the state.

Wike said he was now ready to empower those who patiently worked with him in the last seven years.

He explained that his administration had prioritised laying a solid foundation for the State through provision of quality social services and delivery of infrastructure that should engender socio-economic growth.

The governor spoke at the inauguration of the Oro-Abali Flyover, at the Kaduna Street Junction, along the Port Harcourt -Aba Expressway in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, the governor said having done well in projects delivery, security and promotion of peaceful coexistence in the State, it was time to focus on the politics of welfare for the people.

He said: “Now that we have done virtually everything, we have promised Rivers people, this is the time now we have to play politics of stomach infrastructure.

READ: You’re killing us with your demands – Wike to federal agencies

“What people do not understand; people think when you are in government, from first day, you should be sharing money. I said, I won’t do that.

“I have to work for the people of the State. Now that we have worked, the remaining period will be to feed your stomach.”

He described welfare as an important aspect of the politics of governance because it entailed a form of empowerment of the people economically.

“There is time for everything. Now, the time has come. We have to start to empower our people. The empowerment is for those who have been patient.

“So, every local government, every community will have a pattern of how we are to empower our people. “As a government, when there is unemployment, some people bring out what they called welfare scheme to be able to cushion the level of poverty in the society. That is what we are going to apply here,” he said.