Wike Rues FG’s Failure To Deliver On East-West Road …Says RSG Creating Alternative Routes For People, Businesses

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said that his administration was deliberately creating new roads through Woji and Eleme Towns into Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone (OGFZ) to encourage substantial industrial activities and advance Rivers economy.
Such roads, Wike listed are the new 10.3kilometre Indorama-Agbonchia-Ogale-Ebubu-East-West Link Road; the 6.5kilometre dual carriage Woji-Aleto-Alesa-Refinery Road, the reconstruction of the 7.2kilometre-long Alode-Onne Road, and 3kilometre Alode internal roads.
Wike spoke at the flag-off of reconstruction work on the 7.2kilometre-long Alode-Onne Road and 3kilometre internal roads, yesterday, which was performed by the former governor of Cross River State,Donald Duke, in Alode town of Eleme Local Government Area.
The governor said Eleme council serves as the economic hub of Rivers State, adding that everything was being done to attract more investors while encouraging already existing ones.
The governor stated that the efforts of his administration were deliberate, as the government was determined to open up the area more.
He expressed the hope, that someday soon; the Federal Government would awaken to its responsibility and respond to the urgency to rehabilitate the deplorable East-West Road.
“This is the economic hub of the state; therefore, everything must be done to make sure more economic activities are attracted here. Opening all these roads will, of course, give the companies the hope that one day, the Federal Government will remember the East-West Road.”
Wike thanked Eleme people for the sustained support to his administration since 2015, and their trust on political leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) they nominated to work with him.
The governor pointed to how selfless their leaders have been by working assiduously to attract development to the area, and not being content with personal aggrandizement.
Wike reiterated his conviction on the need for the people to use whatever privileged position they have to work for the betterment of the people and communities they represent.
The governor remarked that the likes of the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning, Hon Isaac Kamalu; and Senator OlakaNwogu; among other leaders, were behind some development projects attracted to the area.
With proof of such democratic dividend, Wike said, Eleme people would listen to their leaders when they come to tell them who to vote in the 2023 general election.
Wike emphasised that their sons, particularly a former Nigerian ambassador to The Netherlands and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon Orji Ngofa, failed to attract democratic dividends to his people despite the fact that he served the Federal Government and was close to the former minister of transportation, ChibuikeAmaechi.
“Look at the only seaport (Onne) we have that is employing our youths.While we had a minister of transportation and Orji was an ambassador, what happened? They killed our seaport.”
Performing the flag-off, former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, noted that despite the heightening political activities, Wike has not abdicated governance.
Duke said it takes a man who loves his people and desire the gains of development for them that would set out 23 more days to flag off more projects at the twilight of the administration.
The former Cross River State governor acknowledged that Wike had developed Rivers State tremendously and secured the peace, which had made it liveable for all Nigerians.
Duke regretted that in Nigeria, critical roads to connect seaports to industrial companies were not constructed and maintained.
Such bad culture, he pointed out, frustrates evacuation of goods to the market and for export, thereby making the country lose massive revenue.
“Unfortunately, there’s a complete disregard for the critical sectors of our economy. That you cannot have ingress or egress out of Eleme is a sad thing to say. Ordinarily, this should be a national concern. You can’t cut your nose to spite your face.
“This is what Nigeria does all the time. Forget the politics, forget what party is leading. Forget who the governor is, but you get massive revenues from the investments that are in these areas, and you ignore evacuation.”
Duke expressed optimism that with the massive investment in roads and other critical infrastructure in Rivers State, which ironically was not the richest in the country, it would soon emerge the industrial heartbeat of the nation.
“If each state had done something to the extent in which they can, and this state is not the richest state in Nigeria. There are states that get a lot more, but you can’t see it. You have to really strain your eyes to see what they’ve done with their resources.”
Providing the description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr George-Kelly DakorinimaAlabo, said the reconstruction of the 7.2kilometre-long Alode-Onne Road and Alode internal roads were symbolic and of serious economic importance to the state.
George-Kelly stated that the Alode-Onne Road, which measures 7.2kilometres-long, 10.3meters wide with drains of 900 by 900millimetres depth of 150millimetres wall thickness, and 150millimetres base thickness, would create alternative route from East-West Road to promote ease of doing business.
According to George-Kelly, the Alodeinternal roads were 11 in number, measuring 3kilometres in length, of 7.3meters wide with drains on both sides.