“The situation physiologically weakens the City’s credibility. That’s why I asked for my resignation. Beyond the guaranteeism that leads us to affirm innocence until a final sentence is reached, the fact remains that the published wiretaps demonstrate morally intolerable relations between the mayor of Reggio Calabria and the son-in-law of the Araniti gang boss. A fact which, regardless of the judicial development, casts shame on the city with the predictable blockages that a responsible administrator should avoid. All this risks compromising a great project in its infancy: that of the Bridge over the Strait”.
This was stated today at Palazzo San Giorgio, during the press conference “THE BRIDGE, THE VOTE, THE HISTORY”, the regional coordinator of Alternativa Popolare and municipal councilor Massimo Ripepi.
The president of the Control and Guarantee Commission commented on the “Ducale” investigation which sees the mayor under investigation for political-mafia electoral exchange. At the moment, this is the first and only public outing by an opposition member in the aftermath of the news relating to the ROS investigation.
“Reggio first saw the commissionership for 18 months, then 11 years of Falcomatà administration during which the city was brought to its knees from every point of view, then the issue of Miramare followed by a devastating administrative block produced by the fear of taking any decision. And now? The Ducale investigation, which affects the sacrosanct right to vote. With what credibility will we be able to sit at political tables? How can we interact at a national and international level?”, added Ripepi.
“We have two possibilities if Falcomatà does not resign: either a Special Commission is set up to investigate the administrative acts, or the Control and Guarantee Commission, which I chair, intervenes to control the administrative acts. If there are administrative documents that are part of this investigation, we can deal with them without touching the judicial investigation. I say that if there is a risk that the Access Commission arrives, we are ruined, we will have another 18 months of commissionership and our city will be definitively destroyed.”
Ripepi then turned his attention to the topic of the Bridge over the Strait, in view of the open City Council meeting dedicated to the stable crossing and scheduled for tomorrow.
“I have supported the construction of the Strait Bridge for years, because I believe it will bring infinite wealth to our land, impoverished for decades. To all those who argue that collateral works, such as roads and railways, must be built first, I ask: why haven’t they been done in the last seventy years? If we wait another seventy years, they won’t make them anyway.” – began the city councilor – “No one really cares about Calabria, Reggio and Sicily! At this point, we might as well build the Bridge first: when a great work is created, collateral works are also created. The Bridge itself will allow us to obtain the infrastructure that we have always wanted and which have never been created either by centre-right or centre-left governments!”
On the open municipal council, requested by him with a motion in February, Ripepi expressed himself as follows: “Pazzano had also presented a motion (in my opinion hypocritical) in which, however, he had expressed the doubt that ‘before leaving, we must be sure that no unfinished works remain! Of course, I also hope it doesn’t start and then stop, but who knows? So let’s not start the work for fear that it might then stop? On the contrary, I hope that the works start immediately, because if this government lasts, in three and a half years such works will be carried out that we will no longer be able to go back from the construction of the Bridge.”
“The Bridge will also generate an immeasurable benefit to the Strait Airport. Furthermore, the high speed and high capacity, collateral to the work, will also benefit the Port of Gioia Tauro: another jewel of inestimable value!” – replied the Councilor – “This is why tomorrow we talk about an “encounter with History”: the names of all those who tomorrow will decide for or against, with respect to the theme of the themes will remain forever indelible in historical books, in one sense or another. in the other! To date, certainly, it is not normal that the Mayor of Reggio has not requested anything, while on the Messina side they have convened a special commission on the Bridge!”.
“Tomorrow, therefore, I will present this motion and ask the mayor to intervene where he has not previously acted. We will ask him to evaluate all the benefits of the Bridge, already documented in my motion and referred to the opinions of economists and experts. Whoever votes against this motion is not voting against Massimo Ripepi, who presented it, but against a process which, however, could take place and bring our territory back to life. As a city we must express our opinion and citizens must know what all the councilors think, both from the majority and from the opposition. The names of those who say NO to the Bridge must remain in history.”
