Rivers awards N2.5b seven kilometres MILPOPPROF

IN a renewed effort to uplift the lives of Rivers people, the state governor, Nyesom Wike has awarded contract for the reconstruction of Igwurita -Chokocho -Etche Federal highway valued at N2.4 billion to Setraco Nigeria Limited.

The 6.6kilometre road, which had been a deplorable state would be completed in six months time and would be funded through the Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR) account.  The contractors would receive N400 million monthly to defray the N2.4billion cost for the construction of the road.

The Governor regretted that the road, which connects the agricultural basket of the state has been in deplorable condition for long, stressing that it crippled business activities along Etche and Ikwere Local Government Areas, the two major Local Councils of the state which the road connects.

He said, “We must solve the people’s problem irrespective of the lean financial resources of the state; we believe that politics is about the welfare of the people. This road is critical to the people of Etche and their Igwurita neighbours. It is vital to their economies; hence we have resolved to complete it in a record time of six months.

“I agree that this is a federal road, but we cannot sit and allow our people suffer. We will construct this road to the satisfaction of our people. We will pay Setraco N400 million monthly through IGR to ensure work goes on regularly till the completion of this project.”

He said at the moment, the state was receiving N5 billion monthly because of the dwindling fortune of the nation’s economy. He however said the drop in federal allocation to the state would not stop him from delivering the dividends of democracy to all parts of the state.

The Governor however, directed the State Commissioner for Works, Kelvin Wachukwu, and the Finance Commissioner to liaise with the contractors to ensure monthly payment of the approved sum to the contractor.

In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George said, involving the communities in the road construction process, local capacity would be built.

He added that his Ministry’s project monitoring committee would visit the work site to monitor the progress of work from time to time to ensure that contractors delivers the job at the stipulated time.

Also speaking, Wachukwu said the ministry would monitor the road construction to ensure that the contractor delivers in line with specifications.  The Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, commended Wike for his timely intervention in reconstructing the dilapidated road.

He said the road, when completed, would impact positively on the fortunes of farmers who need to move their harvest to markets and the economy of the area in a general.
450wds