RSG Begins Design Of New Bonny Road

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, has hinted that the state government has begun design of a new route to Bonny Island through the Ngo axis of Andoni Local Government Area.
Though he did not disclose when the project would begin, he however, said yesterday that the project had become necessary due to the inability of the Federal Government to complete the over 10-year old Bonny-Bodo Road.
He submitted, “we are taking the road through Ngo after crossing the three bridges, then one small bridge from Ngo to Oyorokoto, but there will be another bridge to Ifoko before we land at Bonny.”
According to him, “we are looking at the cost, but it will be dependent on the availability of fund. It is the shortest way to Bonny.”
Amaechi explained that the new route will depend on the state resources even as he assured Bonny people, who paid him solidarity visit in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, of completing internal roads on the gas-rich Island.
Lambasting the Federal Government for slowing down development in Bonny, the governor observed, “no matter how far the Island is, Bonny is economically important to Nigeria. After East-West Road, the next road should have been Bonny-Bodo Road.”
He argued that if people say the president is Ijaw and Bonny is Ijaw, then the Federal Government would not have blocked the commencement of Train Seven of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) at Bonny Island by kick-starting the Brass LNG that is not viable.
This development, he further emphasized, has made the area to lose over 10,000 jobs and other attendant benefits that would have come with the project.
The governor, therefore, called on the people to embrace the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a way of getting their resources back.
On the poor water transport to Bonny, Amaechi blamed the situation on the absence of a landing jetty, but directed the Commissioner for Transport, Hon George Tolofari, to evolve measures to renovate the Marine Base jetty for the berthing of one of the newly acquired vessels, to ferry people from Bonny to Port Harcourt.
“It makes sense that you can convey people and cargo to Bonny in a decent manner,” he stressed.
Speaking earlier, Leader of the Bonny delegation and Commissioner for Transport, Hon George Tolofari said the visit was to show support to the governor.
The same view was held by Chairman of the Bonny Local Government Council, who also affirmed the people’s support to the Amaechi-led administration.
Spokesman for the group, Amasenibo Nelson Inima, who described the governor as “a rare gem”, also urged him not to lose hope of victory, as “today we are what we are because God has sent you to Rivers State’’.
The governor, however, disclosed that those in Opobo/Nkoro will likely drive on the Unity Road by the end of February, stating that already, the last bridge into Opobo axis has been completed.

R-L: Deputy Governor, Rivers State, Engr. Tele Ikuru, Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, wife of the Governor, Dame Judith, SSG, Mr George Feyii and others, at the 2014 Thanksgiving and Dedication Service in Port Harcourt, last Monday.