The most controversial and scandalous sector of the Rivers economy perhaps is road infrastructure. The former governor now minister of transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, had always accused his former chief of staff who later became minister of state for education and now his successor as governor, Nyesom Wike, of collecting money for a number of roads but did not do them. Wike used to reply, threatening the then governor to take action if he truly meant the case.
As soon as Wike succeeded Amaechi at the Brick House in Port Harcourt, the new governor told the people that Amaechi did nothing in the area of roads and pounced on the N150billion monorail project as a fraud. He told the people to sit back and see how road construction is done by a serious governor. He therefore, chose to celebrate the starting of every road project with a flag-off ceremony, some on nationwide live television broadcast.
The opposition (APC) countered, saying the new chief executive of the oil-rich state was merely patching roads (resurfacing actually) done by his predecessors just to claim credit or flagging off road projects whenever rerun elections come knocking, only to go cold as soon as the elections were postponed.
They have now accused the governor of not ever disclosing the cost and length of his road projects.
APC
Now, the APC says it is miffed by the governor’s recent statement on the so-called road construction flag-off in Etche last Wednesday. “It is unfortunate that the governor’s grand deception train anchored at Etche this time around to deceive the good people of that part of the state with a phoney road project flag-off, just as he did to the good people of Ogoni in the recent past.”
A statement by the state publicity secretary of the party, Chris Finebone, said the first test for credibility of the governor’s road project flag-off is absence of important elements of a road project such as length or distance, costs and phases of the projects. “The consequence of that is that no one will be able to hold him to account if the flag-off packs up a day after or ends after a kilometre. Then the other bigger issue is that not even the Commissioner for Works knows the actual costs of such road projects and when they are expected to be completed”.
He called on the Etche people to follow in the footstep of Ogoni people whom he said had since realised that they were simply being taken for a ride with the flag off of Sakpenwa-Bori-Kono Road and other roads in Ogoniland. “The solemn truth is that the governor simply embarks on his flag-off journey to nowhere just to deceive the people especially as rerun elections draw near. Etche is big and has over 100 oil wells with some centres of high population density. If the governor is serious, he should go and flag off and execute several dilapidated internal roads that litter the Etche heartland begging for attention and not deceive the people with his politically motivated road project flag-offs especially whenever an election draws near.”
He used the opportunity to deny the accusations by the governor that he had been informed by an insider at a meeting where the transportation minister admitted taking possession of materials meant for the December 10, 2016 rerun elections in the state. “We wish to tell Governor Wike that he is simply playing mind games because no such meeting took place and no one gave him any such information as he claimed. He is simply attempting to sow seed of discord and confidence crisis amongst APC members. Governor Wike is merely being up to his best and we would not descend to his abysmal political station by dignifying his childish and laughable statements.”
Wike
The governor does not seem to look back in his road project march which seems to attract commendations around the country. The next day, Thursday, November 24, 2016, the governor flagged off the construction of Okrika roads. He also commenced what his media aides call the “comprehensive reconstruction” the General Hospitals of Nchia and Okrika in Eleme and Okrika Local Government Areas.
The governor also flagged-off the total rehabilitation of Government Secondary School, Ogu in Ogo-Bolo Local Government.
Speaking while flagging off the reconstruction of the General Hospital in Nchia, Eleme Local Government Area, the governor said that the facility was abandoned for 30years.
He said his administration was committed to the provision of quality healthcare facilities to improve the living condition of the people. The governor said that the Okrika internal roads would improve the economy of the area, promising to circulate development to all local government areas of the state.
Speaking during the flag-off of the construction of the General Hospital in Nchia, State Commissioner of Health, Theophilus Odagme, assured the governor that the reconstruction of the hospital would be completed in record time.
Bathuel Iheanyichukwu, commissioner for works in the state, said that the Okrika roads run for 11.5 kilometres.
Ignatius Chukwu
