Peace In Abua/Odual, My Greatest Achievement …Justifies Naming Okrika Ring Road After Ada-George –Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (right) receiving a souvenir from Lt Gen Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff ,during a courtesy visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi says that one of his greatest achievements in Abua/Odual Local Government Area is the restoration of peace to the area.

Governor Amaechi, who made the declaration Monday at Abua Town, in Abua/Odual Local Government Area, during the 2011 Governorship Campaign rally, said the state government was able to resolve the Chieftaincy dispute in the council which had unfortunately resulted in the loss of several lives years ago.

The governor regretted that years after the crisis, some victims were still in the mortuary, and directed the chairman of the council to ensure that they are buried within two weeks, to allow for full normalcy.

According to him, “let us first bury the victims and later address whatever issues later”, while thanking them for embracing the peace which the state government preached.

He told the people of the area that the state government has fulfilled its earlier promise of bringing electricity to the local government, noting that presently nine Communities are already enjoying power supply, while other communities would be reached within the second tenure and urged them to vote massively for Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

On the proposed Odual road project, Governor Amaechi assured that the road would be completed in the second tenure of his administration, while more health centres would be built in the area.

Governor Amaechi equally assured the Abua/Odual people that the state government will ensure that contractors handling various government projects that are not on site, would be made to return to work to complete the projects, pointing out that those that fail to return would face unpleasant consequences.

The State Chairman of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Godpower Ake who also presented flag to PDP Candidate in the area, said there is no other party in Rivers State that can compete with the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said they were in Abua not to campaign, but to thank them for their support for the PDP, and urged them to sustain the peace in order to attract more developmental projects to the area.

The Director-General of Governor Amaechi’s re-election Campaign Organisation, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, said the PDP expects hundred per cent votes from the 13 wards of Abua/Odual and lauded them for their show of unity in the area.

On his part, the Rivers State Commissioner for Housing, Mr Marshal Uwom thanked Governor Amaechi for the developmental projects he has embarked in the area and assured the governor that the people would vote massively for him and all the PDP candidates in the area.

In their solidarity messages an Elder of the PDP in the area, Mr Dandyson Uku and the Youth Leader, Mr Olusegun Jonathan said after the government of Chief Alfred Diete-Spiff and Chief Melford Okilo, no other past government had done anything in Abua, but Governor Amaechi’s administration had done so much to merit the total support of the people.

Governor Amaechi had earlier paid a courtesy call on HRM, the Odabuan of Abua Kingdom, King Kaleh Obuge at his palace at Itari community.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government had given reasons why the N4 billion Okrika Ring Road had been named after a former governor of the state, Chief Rufus Ada-George.

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who offered the explanation during a solidarity visit at Government House, Port Harcourt, Monday by Chiefs of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area said, the Okrika Ring Road project was conceived by Chief Rufus Ada-George, even though the contract for the road was awarded by the former governor with a contractor nominated by a son of the area when he was Secretary to the State Government.

He regretted that those who were awarded the Ring Road contract and could not execute it are now running for governorship, and telling the people lies that the project was 70 per cent completed, without shame or the fear of God.

He emphasised that the road, which is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the state government, was initially abandoned at about 25 per cent work level, before the present administration took over and expanded the scope and completed it.

The governor disclosed that before taking over the Okrika Ring Road, the government invited the contractor who admitted that the job was not up to 30 per cent work level, stressing that “we therefore expanded the scope of the road from 3km to 4.km and added more bridges at the cost of over N4 billion.

The State Chief Executive said his administration is also undertaking land reclamation in Ogu /Bolo, constructing the Bolo Bridge to link the area to the rest of the state by land, emphasising that the Ogu road would equally be completed.

He intimated the people that the Bolo bridge contractor had assured the government that, if funds were provided, the remaining work on the bridge would be completed in two month’s time, assuring that these projects would be completed within the second term of the administration.

The governor assured them of increased pace of work on the Ogu/Bolo Model Secondary School project to enable the students move to the school, and expressed delight  over  their support to his government, as well as his re-election bid.

Earlier, in an address on behalf of the people of Ogu / Bolo Local Government Area, Chief Da-Ockiya Oforibo-Kakaka, lauded the governor for his visionary leadership qualities as evidence the delivery of people oriented projects and programmes in the state.

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (right) receiving a souvenir from Lt Gen Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff ,during a courtesy visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.