The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has applauded the massive urban regeneration and renewal programme of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Fashola made the observation while inaugurating the Rebisi Flyover Bridge in Port Harcourt, last Saturday, which is one of the five flyover bridges that are under construction simultaneously in the state.
The minister, who took a walk on the 969.4metres’ long Rebisi Dual Carriage Flyover Bridge with his host, Governor Nyesom Wike, said that such development efforts would promote peace among residents, boost tourism and return Port Harcourt to its Garden City status.
Fashola, who had earlier visited the Rumuogba, Okoro-Nu-Odu, Rumuola and GRA Junction flyovers, said: “What I witnessed is a massive urban regeneration and urban renewal of Port Harcourt”.
He said that ministers have been mandated to support the developmental initiatives and aspirations of every state in the country.
This, he said, also informed the initiative to refund money spent on federal roads to states.
According to him, the first tranche of refund was about N577billion, while the second tranche, for which, Rivers State is a beneficiary, is N148billion.
“In the second tranche, it was five states. Out of those five states, I think only two were APC states, and it was a total of N148billiion, and Governor Nyesom Wike and Rivers State got lion share. He got N78billion. Don’t sit here and think he has received N78billion, he still has to go to the National Assembly because this is part of Nigeria’s borrowing plan”, he said.
The minister commended the governor for naming the Rebisi Flyover which is located at Garrison Junction, after the community.
“This place used to be known as Garrison. But, clearly, as we begin to shed our military toga and our democracy ages and deepens, we will see a rebirth in our unity, our oneness and our shared developmental aspirations” he said.
Speaking, Governor Nyesom Wike said when the state government flagged off the Rebisi, Okoro-Nu-Odu and Rumuogba flyovers simultaneously in October, 2019, many skeptics, had questioned the possibility of the state completing the projects within the estimated timeframe of 16 months.
The governor explained that the contractor, Julius Berger, worked assiduously, even during the Covid-19 lockdown, just to ensure that the projects were delivered on time.
“By December, we have to commission Okoro-Nu-Odu flyover. By February, we have to commission Rumuogba and Rumuola; by March-April, we will commission the GRA flyover”, he said.
Wike expressed satisfaction that his administration has been able to fulfil the promise of constructing five flyover bridges, with one of them achieved in 12 months.
The governor said that the flyover bridge by CFC/Corpus Christi Bus Stop would be expanded to make it the sixth flyover project under construction in the state.
Wike, who noted the leadership role played by Mr Babatunde Fashola in the assessment of the application for refund to the state money spent on federal projects, also appealed that the new flyover projects should be considered for refund.
The governor, who frowned at the refusal of traders to obey government’s directive not to display their wares along the roads in order not to inconvenience road users, said that an executive order would be signed today to discourage the practice.
He said that with such executive order in force, any landlord who allows traders to display wares for sales in front on their buildings would forfeit them to government because they would be acquired for public use.
In his remarks, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Mr Eloka Tasie-Amadi, said that when the Rebisi Flyover Bridge was flagged off on October 24, 2019, it was to be delivered in 16 months but it has been achieved within 12 months.
He said that the project has not only improved the aesthetics of the city, but enhanced traffic flow, relieved transport time, eradicated traffic conflict at the junction, and reduced vehicular damage that bad roads cause.