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…As Fubara Promises Compensation to all Communities
By Emmanuel Ovundah, Port Harcourt
Former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on yesterday flagged off the construction of 50.15km Port Harcourt Ring Road project conceived by the Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s led Rivers State Government.
The N195.3bn dual carriage road project that will be constructed by Julius Berger, cuts across six Local Government Areas with six flyovers and one bridge crossing the Eagle Island/Mgbuodohia/Agip River would be completed within in three years.
Performing the flag off on behalf of the state government, Wike boasted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara has outperformed all sitting governors in landmark projects delivery under current leadership dispensation in Nigeria.
Wike commended his successor for his courage and political will to embark on what he described as a “unifying” project, describing him as a man of few words but with the utmost capacity to deliver great development to the people of Rivers State.
According to him, “In 2007, 2008, one man was governor at a time in a month we got N100Billion. I was Chief of Staff. We put N100Billion in First Bank that we were going to do this road. Up till today there is no Ring Road.
“But today, a man, in one month in office has awarded a project of N195Bn and has paid N150Bn. I challenge any state, any governor today that will say he has the chest, the capacity to engage a reputable company like Julius Berger to award N195Bn single contract and pay N150Bn. What he (Fubara) will show you in 100 days in office, Nigerians will be shocked.
”In his speech, the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara said the Port Harcourt Ring Road which he described as a legacy project of his administration will decongest Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor LGAs, create more cities in the state as well as employment opportunities and also unite Rivers people the more.Governor Fubara said the flag-off ceremony was the beginning of a journey some people thought his administration cannot kick-start.
He urged the various communities in the six LGAs that the project will traverse to cooperate with the contractor without sabotaging it. He assured them of timely payment of determined compensations.
“We did not just sign a contract, but we have paid for it and we are here to commence the job. This project is about connecting our people. It is about uniting Rivers people.
“This project will bring about the development of new cities in Rivers State because there will be accessibility to other towns around Port Harcourt. More investors will come too.
“We are consolidating on the new Rivers vision which is about bringing Rivers people together and making all the ethnic groups in the state to unite for a common goal.
“Beyond our individual differences and diversity, I want us to look at this project as something that connects us together,” he said.
The governor pledged that while his administration is investing in infrastructural development, also noting that reasonable attention will be given to education, health, and youth empowerment as well.
“Let me assure the good people of Rivers State that it is not only the roads that we will attend to, we will invest in health and educational sectors. We will also look at youth empowerment because it is very important”.
The Commissioner for Works, Dr. Alabo George-Kelly while giving the project description said the project has six sections that will run currently, to be completed in three years.
He said, “This project that cuts across several communities in six LGAs, critical government infrastructures and corporate industries that play major role in boosting the economy of the state are targeted in this project; Its social-economic benefits cannot be overemphasised.
“The project is going to have six flyovers and one river-crossing bridge. The flyovers will be having a total length of 4.8 kilometres. The river-crossing bridge will be 350 metres long. The project is sub divided into two loops, we have the southern loop and the northern loop”, he said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Dr. Lars Ritcher applauded the Rivers State Government for embarking on the Ring Road project which will be quite significant to the collective prosperity of the people.
He added that the project is a shining example of modern infrastructural development designed to connect people to communities and to opportunities.
