By Ignatius Chukwu
Every era will surely produce best governor and biggest projects of national note. Dr Peter Odili led with Gas Turbines, Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi led with highest number of schools and hospitals of world standards (though Greater PH City and Monorail did not go far), and Chief Nyesom Wike led with Flyovers.
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The new governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, seems to bask in the approval he just received from the House of Assembly to launch his dream project, the big-ticket Port Harcourt Ring Road.
The governor said Tuesday, July 11, 2023, that the N200Bn project may end up as Nigeria’s single biggest project.
Past administrations in the state had prized and priced the idea of a ring road but costs were said to be prohibitive. Former governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who also planned to construct one, had used a special interview with a national business newspaper to announce his change of mind.
He had said the benefit was as good as starting a new city because of the ability to expand traffic range of the state and carry more vehicles at a time. Amaechi had thus opted for the Greater PH City project and a monorail project to replace a ring road.
Gov Fubara has however returned to the idea. The new governor who said his administration would be signing the contract said it might the biggest project any state would embark upon.
He however said investors across various sectors were already excited, ready for the derivable benefits.
Gov Fubara made this known shortly after inspecting deplorable sections of Degema Street, Harbour Road, and Reclamation Road in the old Port Harcourt Township and the ascending section of the bridge connecting Dr. Peter Odili Road to Woji Town.
The governor noted that the Port Harcourt Ring Road, which would traverse six local government areas, will be a legacy project that would decongest roads in the various localities within Port Harcourt and Obio Akpor local council areas.
According to him: “When all these places are opened up, people including the real estate investors will start moving in there and businesses will open up because people have started acquiring land there. That is to tell you the importance of the road.”
Speaking about the remedial works on the failed sections of the inspected roads, Gov Fubara assured that permanent solutions were being worked out to ensure that the roads are permanently fixed.
Gov Fubara further inspected ongoing works at the Government Secondary School, Emohua, and also had a stop-over at the failed portion of Rumuigbo Road.
He is said to have rounded off the inspection tour at Iloabuchi Road which will be part of the route for the Port Harcourt Ring Road project.
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