Chairman of Mile One Market Traders’ Association (MOMTA), Comrade Ndubueze Eze, has reiterated Governor Wike’s determination to transform Port Harcourt into its former “Garden City” status that befits Rivers State.
Speaking with The Tide recently in Port Harcourt during an interview on Governor Nyesom Wike’s first 100 days in office in his second tenure, Eze, who sought the people’s cooperation in the task of transforming the city in line with the vision of the Governor, also identified two key areas that must be addressed to ensure accelerated growth in the state capital.
According to him, “Firstly, our people are yet to fully understand that Port Harcourt is no longer the village it was many years ago, but the capital of an oil and gas-rich state. “We have loosened up a little and embraced the challenges that accompany developmental agendas. The riverine and upland dichotomy should be dropped.
“Secondly, there is the challenge of managing the people. Most times, the interests of an investor will not be the same with the communities and this has to be properly managed”, he said.
The market chairman continued that, “in the course of doing this job of trying to build a befitting capital city, we might step on toes. This is why the government has come to seek the people’s counsel and support.”
The unionist urged the State Government to be forward-looking by retaining the state to its lost glory of ‘Garden-City”, instead of ‘Garbage City,’ despite the fact that there are other communities in the area.
“The ‘Garden-City’ status should be re-invigorated. Though we may be worried about what other communities in the capital city will say, but the government has to be forward-looking. In less than 50 years from now, other communities within the capital city will have become part of the garden-city, Port Harcourt.”

Bethel Toby & Ngozi Nnadozie