Abua/Odual Link Road Ready, Soon –Amaechi

L-R:Nutrition Officer, Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State, Okpara Eberechi, Supervising Councillor for Women Affairs, Hon. Ego Oko and Felicia Osazuwa, during the 2010 World Breast Feeding Week celebration in Port Harcourt, last week.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has reassured the people of Abua-Odual Local Government Area  that the construction of a road to link the Odual people to the rest of the state remains a priority project to be accomplished by the present administration.

Governor Amaechi, who stated this Saturday at the palace of King Kaleh Obuge in Otari during his Town Hall meeting with the people of Abua/Odual Local Government Area, said the 21 kilometers road has three bridges and would cut across communities like Okparaki, Odawu, Emelego, Adada and connect them to the mainland.

According to the Governor, “I feel ashamed that since the creation of Rivers State, Odual people have not been connected to the rest of the state by road”, assuring that the state government under his leadership would break the jinx.

He disclosed that the government had completed design work on the Odual road project and appealed to the people to exercise patience because the process of awarding the contract was slowed down by lack of funds, stressing that it would be given preference in the next round of contract awards.

The State Chief Executive explained, that after the Odual road project, the next most important road project for the area was the Agba Ndele-Abua Road which had been completed except the bridge, emphasising that the completion of the road would enable them access the state capital easily.

The Governor, however, noted that the state government’s greatest achievement in Abua/Odual local government was the restoration of peace and emphasised that his administration would not compromise the issue of security of lives and property in the state.

Responding to questions, during the interactive session, Governor Amaechi apologized to the people for the non- completion of some model primary school projects in the area, pointing out that once the next round of payments are made to the contractors, he would fast track their completion and directed the Commissioner for Health to site more health centres in the area as the present three were grossly inadequate.

On the delay in the issuance of First School Leaving Certificates (FSLCs) in the state by the Ministry of Education, the governor directed the Commissioner to investigate the matter and ensure that certificates of those that sat for the examinations were released in record time.

In his welcome speech, Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Mr. Udi Odum, commended the state governor for matching his words with action in the provision of infrastructural development to the people and pledged their unalloyed support to the state government.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government says it will partner with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (lCAN) in its efforts at building the capacity of accounting practitioners in the State.

The State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this last Friday when a delegation of the association, led by its President, retired Major General Sebastian Owuama, visited him at Government House, Port Harcourt.

Represented by his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, Governor Amaechi noted that accountants play vital role in the economic stability of the nation, saying “because money is important to us, those who manage our money are equally very important,” adding that “we are ready to partner with you in the area of manpower development”.

The State Chief Executive expressed the hope that ICAN as a body should continue to protect the ethics and principles that guide professional accounting practice in the country, assuring that the State Government will continue to provide the necessary support to its capacity building initiatives.

Earlier, leader of the delegation and President of ICAN, Major General Sebastian Owuama, had expressed delight at the robust relationship existing between the State Government and accounting practitioners, observing that this was demonstrated in “the appointment of accounting professionals into key government positions in the State”.

Commending the Governor Amaechi-Ied administration for its achievements in the improvement of infrastructure, Maj. Gen. Owuama expressed delight at the administration’s commitment to the principles of honesty, transparency, and accountability, while encouraging continued interactions with the government, saying that such interactions provide opportunities to appraise issues and proffer solutions to problems.