On The Forgotten Road To East -West Road

The novelist, Fredrick Forsyth in his bestselling
thriller, “The Devils Alternative” said: “whichever option I choose, men are going to die”. And further suggested that “events shape men, but they do not remove the alternative to choose”.
This matter of choice, with its options, appears to be an albatross on the East-West Road in Rivers State, over the years.
Before the idea of construction of the East-West Road was debated and approved then by the Ruling Supreme Military Council in Nigeria, there existed a road called the Port Harcourt – Eleme – Bori Road, which some people now prefer to stereotype by adding the adjective “Old to it, making it now “Old Port Harcourt – Eleme – Bori Road”, confining it to a used and abused old lady status, forgetting the biblical verse of; “before Abraham, I was” injunction.
Suddenly, the old road, the old lady, the abandoned and rejected stone, had gotten a new life, a regeneration, a rebirth, and a functional profile, of relevance, as the road is now wearing a “Tear Rubber Look” and ready to be commissioned to mark one year in office of Governor Siminalayi Fubara on 14th day of May, 2024.
But the Road, now dubbed: “Old Port Harcourt – Eleme – Bori Road, has not always been old. It was our own known version of an express road back then.
Historical notes on Rivers State reveal that the Road many years ago, started from Bori and terminated at Elelenwo Train Station. The Colonial Administration used it like a stone to kill two birds.
The first, was to serve the local farmers coming to Port Harcourt with agricultural produce from the Ogoni axis, by conveying those agriculture products from Elelenwo Train Station to Aba, for the markets, to serve the new trading population that was emerging via palm oil business.
The second reason was to serve the Oil Mill facility with palm oil fruits from the Igbo hinterland, which needed to be refined and milled, before transporting via the harbour in Port Harcourt  overseas, Europe or Ala-bekee, alias Obodo Ndeocha as our forebears called it.
Elelenwo then was a major connecting artery in the South – Eastern trade route, and served as a hub, for both farmers, buyers and local transporters, mostly bicycle riding entrepreneurs from Eleme, Gokana, Tai and Khana villages.
It was, therefore cheering news, when Dr Tammy Danagogo, the Secretary to Rivers State Government, while addressing the Media as Chairman of the Governor Fubara’s One Year in Office Anniversary Celebration Committee, announced that 11 kilometer segment of the “Old Eleme, Bori Road, which had been given a total rehabilitation, would be commissioned, alongside other roads.
The reconstructed segment stretches from Akpajo to Aleto – Nchia – Ogale – Ebubu – Eteo. It would serve as an alternative to the East – West road where tankers, heavy duty vehicles and container conveying trucks dominate other road users, sometimes leading to accidents.
Who knows, maybe, if that old road had been resurfaced by past administrations, and had been in use before this period, the ugly incident of fire disaster last few days, may not have happened.
We may yet thank Governor Siminalayi Fubara, for reconstructing this road, and averting further disaster on the East-West Road.
Emerging out of that pre-anniversary press conference is the news that the second stretch of the Trans-Kalabari Highway, that will eventually link – up Bakana, Tombia, Bukuma, among other communities with the rest of the mainland Rivers State is to be flagged off, plus the   Elele— Omoku dual carriage way.
The Andoni axis of the Ogoni – Opobo – Andoni Unity Road, according to Danagogo, would be commissioned to give the road, its complete cycle, as the initiators of the project had envisioned building  a major road to traverse through Rivers, and hitting the Atlantic coast line.
While we thank Governor Fubara for giving a fresh new refined look and status to the Old Port Harcourt – Eleme – Bori Road, it is our wish that the reconstruction should be extended to link up Nonwa— Kira – Sakpenwa, where it will connect the already completed segment of Sakpenwa – Bori – Kono  axis.
As the entire users of the East West road look forward to the D-Day, 14th May,  when Governor Fubara would step out to cut the tape on that road, it is time to appeal to the Eleme Local  Government Chairman to be proactive, and do something about the Nchia Market where traders openly display their goods, and sell right in the centre of the road, thereby distorting traffic flow.
Apart from affecting the flow of traffic on that road, the traders’ activities are a bold statement on the presence or absence of a local authority.

By: Blessing  Nwikina