From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said with what his administration has achieved, and is still doing, in terms of delivery of critical infrastructure, nobody in the state needs to talk about the All Progressives Congress (APC) anymore.
The governor made the assertion at the flag-off of construction work of the Ogbum-nu-Abali/Eastern-Bypass Road project in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Governor Wike explained that the previous administration politicised the reconstruction of the Ogbum-nu-Abali/Eastern-Bypass road and actually failed to accomplish it.
Wike said he has defiled those political intrigues, and has genuinely interfaced with the people to understand the economic benefits a dualised road in the city centre could attract.
According to Governor Wike, with the level of infrastructural development around Ogbum-nu-Abali, there would be a spike in the value of property and enhanced economic activities.
He said: “I know that the people of Ogbum-nu-Abali resisted the dualisation of this road because of lack of information. When I met with the community leaders, they said look, they have houses bequeathed to them by their grandparents.
“I told them that whether they like it or not, if I don’t dualise it today, tomorrow somebody else will do it. And you don’t know who is coming.
“So, it’s better done now that I am a governor than when you don’t know who is coming. And the economic benefit of this road is too much, which you may not understand now”.
Speaking further, the governor stated that the entire Old Government Residential Area (GRA) has been given a facelift with quality road projects.
He said: “This is the only place remaining. Old GRA cannot be like that and then we will leave this place. We have done the Rebisi flyover, the Oru-Abali flyover. There is no way this place will not be dualised at all. It’s not possible”.
Performing the flag-off, the member representing Port Harcourt federal constituency 1, Kenneth Chikere, said the formal flag-off ceremony has ended the several speculations about the possibility of executing the project.
Chikere said: “This day witnesses the eventual actualisation of the Ogbum-nu-Abali/Eastern Bypass road project. Thank you governor, for the Ogbum-nu-Abali/ Eastern Bypass road project.
“Thank you governor, for the Ogbum-nu-Abali internal roads, completed, commissioned and profitably in use. Thank you for being a worthy son and governor. Thank you for the exemplary leadership, the infrastructural and human development in all sectors.”
The Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi, while giving the project description, said the dualisation of the Ogbum- nu- Abali Road will extend all the way to the ongoing Eastern bypass dualisation.
He said: “Today, Ogbum-nu-abali road is a 7.3 metres wide single carriage way, with a cross section of approximately 8.5 metres width inclusive of the drains on either side of the road.
“After reconstruction and project completion, we will have a cross section of 18.1 metres width on the axis extending to Eastern bypass and 17.35 metres width along Ogbum-nu-Abali Road.
“This cross section is made up of two carriageways, each measuring 7.3 metres wide, both of which will be separated by a median of 1.5 metres width along the extension to Eastern bypass and a median of 750 centimetres width along Ogbum-nu-Abali Road.
It includes 1 metre wide drains on either side of the road and of course streetlighting which ease movement at night as well as enhance security.
The Commissioner said , the project like many others commissioned or ongoing, would be built to design specifications aimed at guaranteeing minimum life span requirement of 30 years.