Blessing Ibunge
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday said the state government has concluded plans to award contract for two additional flyovers to reduce traffic congestion in Port Harcourt and its environs.
The governor said the two flyovers which would be the eleventh and twelfth respectively to be awarded by his administration since 2019, would be located at Rumuokuta and NTA-Choba Road in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, and expected to be completed within the next 10 months.
Wike disclosed this after inspecting ongoing construction work at the Dr. Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, the Ogbum-nu-Abali sandfill, Rumueprikom, Orochiri-Worukwo, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo flyovers in Port Harcourt.
He maintained that his administration’s huge investment in infrastructure in the past seven years had undeniably laid solid foundation for sustainable growth of Rivers State.
According to him, the performance of his administration would indisputably ensure the electoral victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates for the office of the governor, Senate, House of Representatives and State Assembly in the 2023 general elections.
“We are going to award 11th and 12th flyovers any moment from now. I have made the promise before and I am not going to go back. It will be record breaking in the history of this country that a State government was able to embark on 12 flyovers, not in 8 years.
“You’ll remember these flyovers started in 2019, my second tenure. It is not that we started in 2015.
“For you to do 12 flyovers in four years time, I don’t see who has broken that kind of record. It is commitment. This is the campaign for us. This is the campaign for those who are running for Senate, campaign for those who are running for House of Reps, campaign for those who are running for House of Assembly, campaign for those who are running for governor. We have shown to the world that we can do it and we have done it.
“And I do know my successor will take from what we have done because he is part of what is going on in government. He knows everything. He will not want to bring down the standard. The standard we have set in this state, it will be difficult for anybody to bring it down. For me, I am very happy.”
Wike revealed that the state government would through an irrevocable standing order fund the two additional flyovers from its internally generated revenue.
He expressed delight that his administration has been able to fulfil its social contract with the people of Rivers State, whose support in the last seven years have been overwhelming.
“You must give the people the best. Rivers people deserve the best and whatever it takes for me to give Rivers people the best I will do it; it doesn’t matter how much it will cost me. What is important is Rivers people getting the best in their lives.
“And nobody in Rivers State today, except you’re very wicked, except in your DNA is wickedness, that will not be happy with what we have done,” he added.
Wike noted that Nigerians were beginning to prove that politicians cannot no longer take them for a ride by making promises that they cannot fulfill. According to him, the PDP in the State has performed and Rivers residents could attest to it.
The governor declared that Rivers people will never allow those who conspired with their cronies to defraud the state of its assets while in office to impose a governor on them.
