Wike awards N15.8b contract for flyover, road dualisation

• As State Is Plunged Into Darkness

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has signed a N15.8b-contract for a fifth flyover and dualisation of the Ezimgbu Link Road in Port Harcourt.

Saying he would not politicise the development, the governor reaffirmed his commitment to providing quality infrastructure that would enhance the state’s development.

He stated this in Port Harcourt during the signing of the contract papers for the award of GRA Junction Flyover.

He said: “We have signed the papers for the award of N15.8b contract for the GRA Flyover and the dualisation of the Ezimgbu Link Road up to Stadium Road, and from Genesis Eatery Axis of Tombia Road up to Ikwerre Road…

“The rains cannot be used as an excuse, as we are going to pay them. I trust Julius Berger’s capacity, and I believe that Rivers State deserves the best.”

Wike dismissed comments by critics that he was concentrating development in Port Harcourt, to the detriment of other parts.

The Governor maintained that any investment made in the state capital goes a long way in boosting the state’s image.

“We are providing infrastructure and roads in all the 23 local government areas. We are also at the point of constructing a road from Woji town connecting Aleto-Alesa up to Port Harcourt Refinery junction,” he said.

Wike also announced the court judgment, which affirmed that the Rivers State Government is the owner of OML11.

“We got judgment against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) that OML 11 and Kidney Island belong to Rivers State Government. We will do whatever we can to enhance the state’s development, during our stay in office,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state has been plunged into darkness, following a disagreement between Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) and Oyigbo youths.

The Guardian gathered that the angry youths had stormed the Afam power station in protest over perennial outage experienced in Oyigbo communities. 

A youth leader, who pleaded anonymity, said youths, who shut down the power facility, had lamented that electricity supply to the communities had worsened, since PHED acquired Afam power station.

He said despite perpetual darkness in Oyigbo, Port Harcourt and other parts, PHED had refused to meter homes and had resorted to outrageous estimated billing system.

But, PHED spokesperson, Chioma Aninwe, said: “This ugly incident, which has become the order of the day, is due to the youths’ claim of insufficient supply to their area. In their erroneous belief, they took laws into their hands, marched to the transmission station, forcing the operators to shut down supply without observing safety measures,” she said.

Aninwe said PHED had held several meetings with the community leadership to enlighten on load allocation formula from the national grid, and the need for PHED to apply systematic load shedding to accommodate all its customers.