By John Amieyeofori
Port Harcourt – Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, has called on MTN Foundation to carry out projects that would impact meaningfully on the lives of Rivers people.
Wike who gave the charge on Thursday when the executive of MTN Foundation paid him a courtesy visit in Port Harcourt urged them to always contact the state government before embarking on projects for host communities.
He said it was wrong for MTN Foundation to embark upon projects for communities without consulting the host communities to know the kind of projects they needed.
The governor stressed that different communities needed different projects suitable to their environments.
Wike, therefore, urged the Foundation to also reach out to the communities and find out the types of projects they needed that would suit their present socio economic demands before embarking on projects.
He hailed the Foundation for providing free medical care for market women in the state while urging them to reach out to markets with heavy population in a bid to ensure wide reach of market women.
The governor advised the organisation carry out major projects in the universities to advance the cause of education in the state.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director of MTN Foundation, Mr Reginald Okeya, said the mission of the Foundation in the state was to appreciate the achievements of the governor.
He said part of the Foundation’s vision was to identify with states that were impacting positively on the masses.
Okeya pledged the support of MTN Foundation to the Rivers Government in the development of the state.
The Director said the free medical outreach programme by the Foundation was earmarked for a few states including Rivers.
He added that the Foundation had been carrying out meaningful projects for communities in the state.
Okeya said the Foundation had provided computers, scholarship scheme, boreholes and empowerment schemes to ensure the development of the state.
He said the Foundation had also provided medical equipment to the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital in Port Harcourt.
He pledged that the Foundation was determined to provide more projects that would impact meaningfully on the lives of Rivers people. (NAN)