tam-david west updates....

Good to see all this pics showing development in ph.
When I got 2 PH few months back for the first time.

I was so surprised. PH is an ugly city with a low development profile.
Loads of old houses, unplanned estates, filthy markets
and Gawd u need 2 see the ghettos.

The hotels cant be compared 2 those in Enugu and Asaba for eg
I think PH is over-hyped.

RoadStar: Good to see all this pics showing development in ph.
When I got 2 PH few months back for the first time.

I was so surprised. PH is an ugly city with a low development profile.
Loads of old houses, unplanned estates, filthy markets
and Gawd u need 2 see the ghettos.

The hotels cant be compared 2 those in Enugu and Asaba for eg
I think PH is over-hyped.

You are a full time fool for comparing PH with those villages. Enugu has only one hotel. PH can only be compared with Lagos and Abuja in terms of quality housing and road. Most houses in PH were built between 1995 and 2012. So you are a big liar.

^
Is there any need to insult Roadstar, it is easy to understand why he says PH is overhyped. Any visitor to Port Harcourt will be stuck by how "unsettled" the place looks. Right now, in fact for the past 3 years or so, PH has been looking like a construction site. Lots of activity going on there but not enough results to show for it - yet. Ada George road still remains a mud track despite all the effort Gotti construction is doing, Ikwerre road should be renamed Traffic Jam Central. NTA road is about to break records as the road that will take the longest time ever to dualize. Apart from the GRA no other part of the city bears any resemblance to something that has been planned. . . People used to blame the rains for disrupting all the construction going on in PH but after seeing Uyo(which has the same weather as PH) that excuse is untenable. Even though Amaechi has been praised for his efforts he had better deliver on all the projects he started otherwise PH will continue to strike people as a Niger Delta backwater town.

I have some pictures for you Mr Roadstar. I hope you did not visit Obigbo and think you visited PH.

Bawss1: ^
Is there any need to insult Roadstar, it is easy to understand why he says PH is overhyped. Any visitor to Port Harcourt will be stuck by how "unsettled" the place looks. Right now, in fact for the past 3 years or so, PH has been looking like a construction site. Lots of activity going on there but not enough results to show for it - yet. Ada George road still remains a mud track despite all the effort Gotti construction is doing, Ikwerre road should be renamed Traffic Jam Central. NTA road is about to break records as the road that will take the longest time ever to dualize. Apart from the GRA no other part of the city bears any resemblance to something that has been planned. . . People used to blame the rains for disrupting all the construction going on in PH but after seeing Uyo(which has the same weather as PH) that excuse is untenable. Even though Amaechi has been praised for his efforts he had better deliver on all the projects he started otherwise PH will continue to strike people as a Niger Delta backwater town.

It is quite wrong to compare the hasty job done on a virgin dry land in Uyo to a total reconstruction, demolition(with compensation) and expansion of already densely populated and built up wet land.


More pix

Please put up pictures of Ada George road and NTA road. Let readers see the other reality that is Port Harcourt.

BTW and a little off topic; Hotel Presidential appears to be a shadow of its former self. The places has this run down look.

Abagworo:

You are a full time fool for comparing PH with those villages. Enugu has only one hotel. PH can only be compared with Lagos and Abuja in terms of quality housing and road. Most houses in PH were built between 1995 and 2012. So you are a big liar.

Can't you get you point across without sounding stupid. Someone says he preferes Asaba and Enugu to Port-hacourt. It's a mattter of choice. You're always fund of creating controversies. How exactly is Enugu a village or are you just being silly.

Abagworo, must you insult?

Abagworo:

It is quite wrong to compare the hasty job done on a virgin dry land in Uyo to a total reconstruction, demolition(with compensation) and expansion of already densely populated and built up wet land.
More pix

I missed that. By calling the road work in Uyo hasty it is clear you are just here to champion controversy. Making untrue and unfair remarks about other places will not do the cause of supporting PH any good. In your further submissions strive to provide an objective and unbiased presentation. Haba

My fellow Nairalanders. Please check the projects and ask the cost of these projects compared to what you can see in þhe pictures. The figures will tell you the untold story. No one's opinion is required to ascertain if he is holding it down or not. The figures will speak for themselves. After you see the numbers U will understand why Owerri is slowly but steadily overtaking Port Harcourt as the best place to live in the south.

ICEMAN: My fellow Nairalanders. Please check the projects and ask the cost of these projects compared to what you can see in þhe pictures. The figures will tell you the untold story. No one's opinion is required to ascertain if he is holding it down or not. The figures will speak for themselves. After you see the numbers U will understand why Owerri is slowly but steadily overtaking Port Harcourt as the best place to live in the south.

This thread is about Amaechi's Port Harcourt miracle. Redirect your response to the Owerri vs Port Harcourt thread. We don't need destraction here. You can ask questions though.

I in the past condemned the mono rail project and so did many Rivers youths. The project is on a break now because Amaechi listens. Might probably restart when the road works are almost done.

this is a video rendering of what the new RSUST is supposed to look like when finished...it's currently U/C.....we hope the govt. has the will to go through with it.....enjoy!
http://vimeo.com/38580250
sorry having problems embedding this...can a mod or anyone else helpthanks

ICEMAN: My fellow Nairalanders. Please check the projects and ask the cost of these projects compared to what you can see in þhe pictures. The figures will tell you the untold story. No one's opinion is required to ascertain if he is holding it down or not. The figures will speak for themselves. After you see the numbers U will understand why Owerri is slowly but steadily overtaking Port Harcourt as the best place to live in the south.

^^^ICEMAN, so where are the pics of new/on-going projects in Owerri? How can anyone "understand" when there are hardly any pics of what's going on in Owerri. I don't understand .

Seriously I've heard more than I've seen about Imo State. Is it that there is lack of camera or something? Well I can't wait to tour the Southeast this Easter. Will call my result then.

Ada George and NTA road are now wearing a brand new look, though not yet completed, the road projects in one of the best thing that could ever happen to PH. Those guys are doing brilliant job. One of the best road construction job in the country IMO. Ameachi is a good man.. . . .PH is becoming one of the best place in naija.

Bawss1: Please put up pictures of Ada George road and NTA road. Let readers see the other reality that is Port Harcourt.

BTW and a little off topic; Hotel Presidential appears to be a shadow of its former self. The places has this run down look.

You make me laugh. Those old substandard materials used for school Ameachi just commisioned is what you call they call ultra modern schools. I pity you all.

Capt.Barbosa:
Ada George and NTA road are now wearing a brand new look, though not yet completed, the road projects in one of the best thing that could ever happen to PH. Those guys are doing brilliant job. One of the best road construction job in the country IMO. Ameachi is a good man.. . . .PH is becoming one of the best place in naija.

Please let them complete it

Abagworo has always maintained that his Dad is from imo(oguta),while the mum is ikwerre,but i have always suspected that it is the other way round. No igboman will call Enugu a village,not even an igbo from imo state. I can remember when he said in one thread like that,that enugu residents look hungry,lol, abagworo makes statements that even the most liberal igbo man cannot make. Bros,i will be glad if you will stop hiding behind imo state to make careless anti-igbo statements,you are not from imo, you are from rivers state,your mum being from imo does not make u one.

pazienza: Abagworo has always maintained that his Dad is from imo(oguta),while the mum is ikwerre,but i have always suspected that it is the other way round. No igboman will call Enugu a village,not even an igbo from imo state. I can remember when he said in one thread like that,that enugu residents look hungry,lol, abagworo makes statements that even the most liberal igbo man cannot make. Bros,i will be glad if you will stop hiding behind imo state to make careless anti-igbo statements,you are not from imo, you are from rivers state,your mum being from imo does not make u one.

Bros if you stress yourself with statements made on Nairaland, suicide might be a better option. Develop your sense of humour and move on.

Capt.Barbosa:
Ada George and NTA road are now wearing a brand new look, though not yet completed, the road projects in one of the best thing that could ever happen to PH. Those guys are doing brilliant job. One of the best road construction job in the country IMO. Ameachi is a good man.. . . .PH is becoming one of the best place in naija.

That's what I hear and it is indeed good news. I haven't been in PH since January so I look forward to seeing these developments next time I visit. Kudos to Amaechi.

Abagworo:

Bros if you stress yourself with statements made on Nairaland, suicide might be a better option. Develop your sense of humour and move on.

You can say all you want,just want to u to know that your cover have been blown. Am sure dat any igbo guy that have been around this forum for sometime now,must have made the same observation i made.

Anyway,NL is full of fake people,am only concerned when my tribe is involved.

sports complex....aerial view...

GREATER PORT HARCOURT AWARDS HOUSING & INTERNAL TOWNSHIP SERVICES CONTRACT TO DSC INTERNATIONAL 29th March, 2012





In accordance with the Rivers State Public Private Partnership (PPP) Infrastructure Law 2009, the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA), has received the approval of the Rivers State Bureau of Public Private Partnership, the Ministry of Finance and the Chambers of the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, to award a contract for the Internal Township Services and development of Housing Units, in Phase 1A of the New City.
The agreement, under PPP arrangement, was signed in Government House, Port Harcourt between the Rivers State Government, GPHCDA and DSC International Company Limited.
GPHCDA Administrator, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam JP, signed for Greater Port Harcourt, the Secretary to the State Government Mr. George Feyii endorsed for the Rivers State Government while Bineet Sarang, CEO signed for DSC International Company Limited.
The contract comprises; Internal Township Services – Roads, Electricity, Water, Waste Water, Waste Management, Sewage and 1080 Mixed Use Housing Units, complexes of Flats, Shops and Offices, which will be executed on a contractor financing basis.
The Internal Township Services is estimated at N9.5Billion, to be completed in 24month, while the 1080 Mixed Use Housing Units is estimated at N25Billion with 48months completion period, of which the first 500 Units will be delivered in 30months.

Prince Nwaokugha
Media/PR

http://gphcity.com/GPHmedia/index.php

GREATER PORT HARCOURT AWARDS N30.9Bn FREEWAY CONTRACT 14th February, 2012







As part of the implementation of the New City Master Plan, the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA) has awarded a N30.9 billion contract for the construction of the first phase of a 40-kilometer M10 freeway, to link both the Port Harcourt International Airport and the Onne Seaport.
The Administrator, GPHCDA, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam JP, who announced the award of the first 11 kilometres stretch of the project to Lubrik Construction Company (LCC), explained that that the road, when completed, would bring tremendous economic and social benefit to the State and nation at large.
According to Mrs Cookey-Gam, “the man-hour lost as a result of lack of direct access to Onne seaport and the International airport, was huge and impact negatively on the economic and social life of the State, hence the need to”.
She emphasized that the road which is a dual carriage way will have arterial edges leading to new development areas even as it provides access to commercial business districts in both the new and old cities, saying that the State Government considers the M10 road very critical to the development of the State.
The first phase of the M10 freeway which is expected to be completed in 30 months begins at Professor Tam David West Road and stretches through 11kilometres with 5 bridge components, terminates at Ikwerre Road.
On phase 2 and 3 portions of the 40mk Road, the Administrator explained that phase 2 would commence at Ikwerre road where M10 phase 1 ends and continues for 16.6km to end at an access interchange at Aba Road while phase 3 continues for 15km to tie into the main road leading to Onne port.

Prince Nwaokugha
Media/PR

http://gphcity.com/GPHmedia/index.php?newsid=94

BoPP COMMENDS GREATER PORT HARCOURT AS IT AWARDS N709M WATER SCHEME CONTRACT TO PCI 28th February, 2012



The Director General of Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement (BoPP), Mr. Franklyn Nlerum, has commended the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA), for ensuring a transparent procurement process for contracts awarded by the Authority, urging other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to emulate GPHCDA.
Mr Nlerum said this at GPHCDA Head Office, in Trans-Amadi - Port Harcourt, during a kick-off meeting between GPHCDA and one of its contractors, Process Constructing International Nigeria Limited (PCI).
The Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority had earlier secured a Certificate of No Objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BoPP) to award temporary water project to Process Constructing International Nigeria Limited (PCI) for the sum of N709 Million naira.
Speaking at the site handover ceremony, the Administrator, GPHCDA, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam explained that the water scheme was necessitated by the need to provide portable water to the entire Phase1A of the New City, adding that the project was part of the measures being deployed by the Authority to discourage the indiscriminate sinking of private boreholes in the Greater Port Harcourt City.
Some of the benefiting institutions are the new Sports Precinct; new mega hospital, permanent site of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, 3,000 housing units in phase 1A and part of the central business district.
In his response, the Project Manager- PCI, Engr.John Bredahl stated that his company had executed bigger water projects in Kano and some other African countries and therefore was confident to deliver the project within the 12 months deadline.

Other contracts awarded recently by GPHCDA are: the first phase of the M10 freeway that will link the Port Harcourt International Airport and the Onne Seaport, to Lubik Construction Company (LCC); the construction of 33KVA electrical supply substation by Weltek Nigeria Limited and the Interim Storm Water Canals, a dual carriage Access Road and Street Lighting for the Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Precinct awarded to China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC).

Prince Nwaokugha
Media/PR

http://gphcity.com/GPHmedia/index.php?newsid=93

AFDB RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH GREATER PORT HARCOURT 15th December, 2011




In a sustained move to drive the New City project, a team of African Development Bank (AFDB) Officials met with the Greater Port City Management team today.
The AFDB led by its new Resident Representative, Dr. Ousmane Dore is exploring ways in which the AFDB and the Authority can partner in the development of infrastructure and capacity building. They also discussed sanitation and water reticulation in the the New City.
The Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA) Administrator, Mrs. Aleruchi Cookey-Gam explained the efforts of the present government in infrastructural development and urban renewal adding that the Rivers State government is constructing a new freeway (M1) linking both the Old and the New City as well as the M10 road to connect the air port and sea port in the State. She also stated that the government has put in place transparent procurement processes and other legal framework to facilitate infrastructural development.
Mrs. Cookey-Gam intimated the ADB Reps that out of the proposed thirty thousand (30, 000) residential units in the Phase 1 of the New City, three thousand will be built in the Phase 1A area. Other notable projects in this Phase of the New City include the new Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), a specialist hospital and the Sports Precinct where the State Government recently hosted the 17th National Sports Festival.
Dr. Ousmane Dore on behalf of his colleagues, Francis Ntamu (Private Sector Specialist) and Peter Sturmheit (Country Programme Officer), spoke of the strategic importance of the AFDB as they promote social, economic and infrastructural development on the continent.
Both the Authority and AFDB agreed to collaborate in infrastructural development and capacity building.



Dagogo Josiah
http://gphcity.com/GPHmedia/index.php?pageNum_rsNews=1&totalRows_rsNews=48

Get Julius Berger back to PH A.S.A.P

These roads look like crap, compared to those in UYO

Amaechi: Rivers to Spend N21bn on Trans-Kalabari Road


By Ernest Chinwo

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi has said his administration would spend N21 billion on the construction of the Trans-Kalabari road, the major road project covering the Kalabari-speaking area of the state.

He said contract for the project has been awarded to Lubrik Construction Company (LCC).

He stated this during a Town Hall Meeting with the people of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state at the Kings National College Field, Buguma.

“Trans-Kalabari road is coming. We have awarded the contract to Lubrik for N21 billion. You know before, what I promised the chiefs is that I will stop at Bakana, but now we have agreed to take it to the end in Buguma and one assurance I give you is that by January, I will mobilise the contractor to start work.

“We will do the roads according to importance. The most important road for me is the Trans-Kalabari road and the money is heavy, N21 billion, allow me focus on that road first then we can talk about the other roads,” he said.

He said his administration had been working on completing old projects in Asari-Toru Local Government Area and congratulated the Kalabari people and the youths for being peace-loving and for stopping kidnapping and other criminal activities as foreign contract workers now do their job undisturbed.

“When I was campaigning right here, I promised to consolidate on the old projects that we have. I did not say I will do too many new projects and if you look at it we have been trying to complete the old projects. The only new thing we have done in Buguma or in Asari-Toru is the farm, but before I talk about the farm let me congratulate the Kalabari people, you have changed completely,” he said.

The governor said his administration would reclaim more land from the rivers in Buguma and finish up land reclamation already going on in Abalama community in Asari-Toru Local Government Area.

Amaechi assured the people of the preparedness of his administration to fully furnish the 10 model primary schools in the area and complete the model secondary school in Buguma.

He also disclosed that three general hospitals to serve as referral points are to be built in each senatorial zone.

He said, “We are looking at developing three general hospitals that will serve as referral points. The one for this area is in Degema. We will look at the Degema hospital and renovate it between now and early next year so that anybody around here, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru everybody can go there and be attended to.”

Amaechi also promised to build skills acquisition centre in Asari-Toru to train the youth on various skills to keep them engaged, stressing that micro-economic activities would again grow with peace restored in the area.

Earlier, Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Hon. Ojukaye Flag- Amachree, praised Amaechi for developing the local government area.

He also commended the Governor for locating the N1.5 billion fish farm project and the on-going multi-billion naira model secondary school in the area.

He said, “Governor Chibuike Amaechi has done more in development of Asari-Toru Local Government than any other past governors of the State. I wish to reveal to all here present that Asari-Toru Local Government has received about half a billion Naira from the State Government.”

source;http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/amaechi-rivers-to-spend-n21bn-on-trans-kalabari-road/134796/


RSG TO RECONSTRUCT D-LINE ROADS
Written by MoI&C

The State Government has awarded the contract for the re-construction of all roads in D-Line, Port Harcourt, to Lubrik Construction Company (LCC). Commissioner for Works, Hon. Victor Giadom said this while briefing Journalists in his office recently. Hon. Giadom stated that on completion, the roads would be lined with street lights, standard drainages, side-walk and other necessary facilities that are expected to transform them to modern roads. He disclosed that the contractor had been advised to ensure that the roads are completed in 2014. The Commissioner noted that government has ensured, that the quality of roads constructed or re-constructed meet the administration’s international standard.

source:http://riversstate.gov.ng/item/907-rsg-to-reconstruct-d-line-roads.html

Viewing this topic: Eko Ile
clown!

States Should Be Allowed To Develop At Own Pace – Gov. Amaechi


In this interview, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi speaks on the achievements of his administration and expresses frustration over certain federal government policies which seem to stifle development in some states. He speaks with Adekunbi Ero, general editor, Anayochukwu Agbo, senior associate editor and Tony Manuaka, associate editor. Excerpts:



You unveiled your Master Plan for the development of Rivers State in 2008, four years down the line, how far have you gone in the implementation of your dream for the state?

I’ll look at it from the saying that a dancer doesn’t judge himself; so how do I assess myself? I should be asking you that question.



What I mean is, how far have you achieved the goals and milestones as indicated in your blueprint for the development of Rivers State?

We told the state that we will build 750 primary schools; we have built 500; we have furnished and equipped 250. It doesn’t matter whether we commission or not; we don’t believe in commissioning. It’s the noise by the opposition that made us do the 60:6060 – 60 health centres in 60 days in 60 communities. Because we were not commissioning the projects, they were saying oh, too many projects, uncompleted and all that. So, we say okay, we will do it in batches. To tell them that we built 60 health centres in 60 days, you know that it’s not possible to build one health centre in a day, but the fact that we are commissioning everyday for 60 days is an indication that these health centres were already in place, with doctors and nurses, furnished and equipped. So, we did that.



Now, we were preparing to do 250 primary schools in 250 days in 250 communities. And if you’ve been to our primary schools, you will see that the equipment and furnishing that you have there cannot be done in one day. Most of the schools have been functioning. Like the one at Elekahia, was done in 2008; it was among the first primary schools that we built. When you visit any of our primary schools you will know that the equipment cannot be done in one day. And then within that same period, we intend to commission two or seven of our new secondary schools. The one at Eleme has been furnished but there is so much dust on it. It’s been there for about two years because of Due Process.



We had arranged to get a manager from outside the country but Due Process said that we didn’t comply with due process. They said we must comply with due process. It took us two years of argument to get an approval and the company said they can’t come in now; it will affect the children. They said they will open in September. It is an Indian company, Educom. They are already on ground doing preparation for take-off.



Why a foreign company to manage the schools?

I don’t know. It doesn’t matter whether it is India or not India. How many schools have you run in Nigeria in the same condition as India with 1.2 billion population as against our 160 million? I just felt that they should manage. I went to two secondary schools today; they were a pitiable sight. In fact I asked that they shut down one of the schools. The Education Commissioner disagreed and said we should rather renovate the buildings since the once we are building, those ones you saw, we are building 24 and they cannot satisfy the need of our people with about170,000 children in secondary schools. So if you want to build such schools you have to build 150! And we don’t have that kind of money. One school is N4.5 billion. Where will you get N4.5 billion to build 150 secondary schools?



We are building 24 of them and we believe that the best way to go about it is to renovate the old schools. Like those schools had no laboratories; how do you pass your practical exams? They couldn’t answer. That is why I said they should close them down but wise counsel said no, instead, let’s do a six months programme; build, not necessarily big schools like we have – emergency secondary schools - 15 classrooms, laboratories and office spaces for the teachers and principal. That’s all you need in a day school; most of them are day schools. You don’t need all the facilities you have at Eleme and other model secondary schools at all the local government headquarters. So we have agreed to build two of such per local government at between N500 million and N600 million each.



I’m sure you have seen the monorail; I’m sure you have seen that work is going on there. The columns are being done. It’s a very tedious and slow process; that’s why most people are saying it is a white elephant project and that we will not complete it! But we are sure that we will complete it. We were assured by the contractors that before we leave office they would have completed at least seven, out of the 21 kilometres.There are quite a lot of things we have done. You have seen some roads; in Port Harcourt metropolis, from Education to Agip has been dualised. At Agip we did a flyover. We did a flyover at Eleme Junction. There is another flyover at Eliozu. There are also the new Eliozu Road and the new Stadium Road.



Almost all our projects, you won’t see the drainage, or what people call gutter; they are all underground. All the roads we are building, except the one at Amadi-Ama, Abuloma, the rest are all underground. And in town where we are doing an integrated drainage system with overlay of the road, that is where you have covered drains, not under-ground. Apart from these two, almost all our projects have sub-surface drain which is underground. All you see is the manhole which takes the water. And all our roads must have streetlights. I’m sure you didn’t go to Ada Geroge. It is one road they have criticised us a lot for too long but it is nearing completion. The Choba–Rumuokwuta Road and the flyover at Obiri–Ikwerre; it is a flyover that looks like a roundabout, and it is along the East-West Road which is a federal road.



The Unity Road which connects many riverine communities to the rest of the state by road for the first time, has been acknowledged as a very ambitious project; what inspired that project?

It was Dr. Odili’s vision. He started the road but he didn’t go too far. He had done like a bridge before we took over. One of the reasons for which my friend, Uche Secondus didn’t want to support me for governorship then was that he felt that if I became a governor, I will not complete the project. But not only did I expand the scope; when I took over, the road was N11 billion. Then we expanded the scope, it became N18 billion. We reviewed it further, it is now N27 billion out of which we have paid more than N19 billion. It was intended to make transportation easier for those who live in those areas, including Opobo. The land there is swampy so the mode of transportation has always been by water. You can see how challenging it was for them; the cost of building was twice what it costs here in Port Harcourt.



We have even recently approved the construction of another road to the Kalabari area, which is similar to that of Andoni.



So,Altogether, how many roads are you doing?

I can’t remember. So many roads! The rural areas are the ‘worst’; we have so many roads in the rural areas. Some completed; some uncompleted, but by the time we leave office, we would have completed all the roads. There is a road we call M1, which begins from somewhere here (Secretariat) to UTC, breaking through those houses at Diobu to the airport. It will cost us a lot of money; I don’t want to say the price now because it is in Due Process but it’s in hundreds of billions because 50 per cent of the road is on bridges. We hope that when they finish with Due Process, they can start and complete the project before we leave office.



There is another road called M10. It starts from the airport to the seaport, parallel to East-West Road; it goes to Onne. That we have awarded and they have started work. So, there are quite a lot of projects.

What more have you done on power?

I went to one of our power projects this morning. In fact I went to the farm this morning with my children. We walked to a primary school where I told you there were no laboratories. After that, my children and I drove to a power plant to see it because I had assured them that by the the grace of God, before the end of this year, we will have regular power supply and my second son was doubting. I needed to show them the power framework. We have power projects scattered here and there. We already have over 500 megawatts of power; it is distribution that is the problem. Because of the law, the federal government has not given us the approval to distribute but we are going ahead, with or without federal government approval.



The federal government recently claimed in Abuja that they had given the approval.

Stop saying that they have given us approval. What they gave is constitutional; the Constitution says you can distribute where the federal government is not present. That’s not what we are asking for! We are asking for distribution in the whole of Rivers State. If they do that, we can assure you that there will be no power interruption in Rivers State from December.



Do you have enough capacity now to distribute the power you are generating?

We have enough power. We have about 500 and something megawatts when we need only 400. We are constructing another 180 megawatts to get us to 750 megawatts; the problem is the distribution.



Do you already have a power purchase agreement with the federal government?

We don’t!





So how do hope to recoup your investment?

PHCN is just taking our power free of charge, since 2005 till today!



Part of the power reform is to free the sector for private investors to participate.

I don’t know what reforms they have but what we have argued with them is that they should give us approval to distribute our own power and recover our money. In fact we have made so much investment into PHCN; last two years, we bought two transformers for them; then we are supplying them power free of charge and we are not getting any payment from PHCN. You can’t get money from the federal government, from any of federal agencies! The roads we are constructing, we have put in over N103 billion; not one kobo refund!



Now, in terms of power, all the investments we’ve made on their own infrastructure, no refund! For us that is not the issue. For us the issue is on power, what we are saying is give us approval that we should distribute and give our people power. They are not willing to listen. They are hiding under the guise of what is the law; what the Constitution provides and it doesn’t augur well for people who have the capacity. We think that the Niger Delta states have the capacity to generate and distribute power. And if you remove the Niger Delta states from the national grid, then you’d have found 20 per cent solution to the power problem in the country. Akwa Ibom has the capacity to generate their own power; they have 190 megawatts. Akwa Ibom is a small state in terms of power consumption. I’m sure they may not consume up to 100 megawatts; I hear it’s about 60 megawatts.



So, if you give them licence to distribute their 190 megawatts, they can give their people power. I’m sure that Bayelsa, Delta, others can also do the same for themselves. But the federal government is an inhibition. That is why we talk about the type of federalism we are practising; sometimes, the federal government becomes an inhibiting factor to the development of those states that have the capacity to develop themselves. They slow you down to develop either at the pace of the federal government or at the pace of other states which is not the best for this country.



Is the security situation in Rivers State now safe for investors?

Yes! Not only are investors safe, you should know that there are more and more investments coming into the state. Indorama has announced their methane gas launch. The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company has moved to Rivers State. First Bank is doing an estate of N50 billion already; UACN has started another estate at Eliozu and many others. Investments are coming in gradually.



What about the Greater Port Harcourt City project?

We are about to start the roads. That is where MTN is taking off from. We are building a new university there. We have completed the sports city.



People appear to have a lot of reservation about your monorail project. What are the economic benefits of the project?

The question people are asking is- they are not sure if it will be completed. The economic benefit as a form of public transportation, first and foremost, if you see the traffic on Aba Road, if you have a monorail on Aba Road, it will solve part of the traffic. You know how`many man-hours people spend on that road due to traffic and how much energy and time spent which would have been utilised, if you quantify it, it may pay for the cost of the monorail. Now, what the monorail affords you is that when you get to Waterlines, from that point, you can park your car at home; in five minutes you are in Government House.



We’ve seen Songhai. What made you adopt Songhai as an economic development strategy?

It’s for the purpose of skills acquisition so that the children can prepare themselves for their own empowerment. That is what we are trying to do.



Most of your projects are rather ambitious. How do you raise the money to fund these projects?

IGR is one. And then the Federation Account. When we came, our IGR was about N2.5 billion; N2.5 multiplied by 12, how much is that? Now, we have an average of N5.2 billion, which is quite high. But we are believing it can be higher; our target is that we must be able to pay our recurrent expenditure from our IGR so that we can then take Federal Accounts Allocation Committee for our capital projects.



Between now and when your tenure ends is just about four years, you must have been indebted to banks, how do you intend to fund the loans taken for these projects that are ongoing?

Don’t forget that by the time you begin to wind down, say next year, you would have funded most of the projects and completed them. So, IGR can pay for that. A governor who may be failing after you have finished, will say the reason why I am failing is because they left XYZ amount of money and people won’t remember that you borrowed it to do projects. They will just say you embezzled it. Nigerians are quick to forget. Now, everybody is singing halleluya; few months after you leave, you will hear crucify him. I want to reduce the number of those who will say crucify him.



You have been passionate about creating jobs, how much of that have you done?

We are seriously thinking about engaging a consultant to be able to document the number of jobs we have created. Why are we doing that? People won’t also remember that if you are awarding contract for roads and you employ more than 500, you have created employment for 500 people. Multiply that by the number of roads that we have awarded. People won’t remember that you built a sports city that employed over 1000 persons. People won’t remember that you built over 100 health centres; if you are employing 50 each, multiply 50 by 100. People won’t remember that you have built primary schools out of the 750 you promised, and even if you are employing 50 per primary school, multiply it by 500. People won’t remember that you are building 24 new secondary schools.



So, in terms of job-creation, if say construction jobs are not permanent jobs, what about the farms? The fish farm is under construction. The banana farm is under construction – 2,000 hectares. The approval we just got today to improve our LR in Israel to partner with us to create a farm of 3,000 hectares. We are bringing $100 million, they are bringing $22 million. It will create 750 employment directly; that is indirectly another 750 employment. Songhai Farms is well over 2000. Until somebody documents it, because we didn’t document it, we won’t be able to know how many jobs have been created.



You came into office under a circumstance one could term a judicial miracle. How has that affected your perception of life?

It’s always been the same. I’ve always believed that what God cannot do, nobody can do it for you. What you saw that you call judicial miracle was God in action. If you have faith in God and worship Him, whatever you ask, He will do it for you. Nobody gave me a chance that I would come back. Rather I heard there was a rally, I was called Nebuchadnezzar; that I have run into the bush and that I was not coming back. But whoever said this was prophesying because the Bible said Nebuchadnezzar went into the bush but that he came back to possess his kingdom.



If you had had the governorship without so much stress, would it have changed your attitude towards your job in terms of the zeal and passion?

No, it wouldn’t have changed that. What it could have done was there would be a little control from elsewhere, from politicians. Now you are free. I owe my allegiance to God and the people of Rivers State.



You work so hard and for very long hours, how do you take off pressure?

Sleep, just as I wanted to but I had to attend to you. If not that you are here now, this place would have been full. Once the pressure comes like that, I just go to sleep. By the time you wake up like that, they’ve all gone to sleep.

source;http://www.tellng.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1486:states-should-be-allowed-to-develop-at-own-pace-%E2%80%93-gov-amaechi&Itemid=124&videoid=_1_xf7UVIX8