We Won’t Abandon Monorail Project – Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi, has assured the citizenry that his administration will ensure that the monorail project will be completed before his exit in office.

Speaking through the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Georege Feyii, at a public forum organised by the state Ministry of Transport tagged, “ The Rivers Monorail Project And the Future of Public Transportation in Rivers State,’’ on Wednesday in Port Harcourt , Amaechi said the project was aimed for the future.

“ What the administration is doing is for the future and not for today’’, Amaechi remarked.

He argued that despite criticism from some sections of the citizenry, the project was aimed at proactively addressing the swelling traffic problems encountered in the city of Port Harcourt.   “The Monorail delivers on a whole lots of advantages. The problem we have today can be solved with the project, because the city will be unlocked and the state will move forward.’’

The governor believed that despite the current challenges in delivering the project, when once it was completed, it would fast-track economic activities and reduce difficulties in transporting people, goods and services.

Earlier in his speech, Commissioner for Transport, Hon. George Tolofari described the monorail project as a landmark for the transport  sector in the state.

Tolofari said, “ If the state is going to play its proper role and become the economic hub of the South-South, then, the monorail is an important project’’.

The Commissioner submitted that the project provides a platform for raising the transportation sector in the state to global levels, and therefore urged stakeholders to support it.

Chairman of the occasion and former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the State, Onueze Okocha stated that the monorail project was well intended by government.

The Senior Adovate of Nigeria(SAN) believed that when completed, it would make the lives of the citizens better, while noting that major cities in the world today had monorails to fasten their transportation.

He added,” we need to keep our eyes on the board so that together we will be able to chat a way forward”, as he called on the populace to support government in its bid to build the such monumental project.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, represented by a director in the Ministry has commended the state government for embarking on the project.

He explained that the project was timely and in tandem with the Federal Government’s  blueprint to transform the transport sector.

Senator Umar, therefore, sought effective collaboration between all stakeholders in the sector as the government was poised to eliminate all obstacles by engaging the private sector in driving the system.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in Rivers State, says its attention has been drawn to the latest but no doubt, futile attempt by the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN), to embarrass the government and good people of the state.

The PDP, according to a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary, Mr. George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, said it was miffed at the latest ranting of the ACN, describing the “invitation” to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the Rivers Stat Government’s monorail project as representative of the satanic intentions those who run the party have towards the state. PDP queried how a progressive mind could fault the monorail project which in itself is a high-calibre technical project undertaken by the administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi to ease the traffic gridlock often experienced on Port Harcourt roads.

Ukwuoma-Nwogba stated that not only was the ACN’s position “ridiculous, puerile, uninformed and tantamount to crying wolf where there was none, but indicative of the malaise plaguing the one-man party. “No doubt, ACN deserves all our pity and prayer as it suffers from incurable psychological disorder,” he said.

“Mr. Jerry Needam must have spoken from the point of view of a corrupt mind. We are all aware and have the record of his activities as the secretary of the Social Rehabilitation Committee under the Celestine Omehia regime.

“The Commissioner for Transport, George Tolofari, had only yesterday, taken news men round the project, disclosing that all materials for the first phase of the project were at the Onne Wharf awaiting installation. The Commissioner had told Rivers people that as highly technical as the project is, the contracting firm is taking its time to adhere to strict engineering regulations, which of course, the Rivers State Government had insisted on. Soon, a stakeholders’ meeting will take place to which the ACN is invited.

“ACN has revealed its ignorance of projects’ quantities and implementation, thinking a project as complex as a monorail could be hurried to satisfy selfish minds but to later jeopardise the lives of Rivers residents and would-be users of the monorail”.

The PDP statement added that the party fully supports both the project and the carefulness adopted by the contracting firm to stick to the best engineering practice in related projects and commends Governor Chibuike Amaechi for embarking on the project.

Ukwuoma-Nwogba accused the ACN of mocking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the invitation to investigate an ongoing project.

“To educate the ACN on elementary rule of law and justice, a statutory investigative body can only investigate an abandoned project and not one which contractor is on site, funds appropriately marked for and in judicious use. The ACN which stock in trade is to pour mud should discontinue its fruitless project to distract the Chibuike Amaechi administration. No doubt, this ACN blackmail will collapse.”

Amanayanabo of Grand Bonny, HRM King Edward Asimiri Pepple (left) with Rivers State Commissioner for Transport, Hon George Tolofari, during the Ministry of Transport public forum orgainsed by the ministry of Transport in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga