#wikeprojectchallenge

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE OF GOVERNOR WIKE, A TOTAL OVERVIEW.

- Meshach Alaputa Jaja, CPA. Extract from RIVERS STATE: Six Years of Audacious Transformation.

Gov Wike has taken Rivers State to heights never envisaged by anyone in road infrastructural delivery. Everywhere on Rivers State, including the rural areas, is connected or getting connected and reconnected with roads of all categories.

Within this period, Gov Wike has delivered over 100 kilometers of road network, including Trunk-A roads, bridges and flyovers, straddling nearly every Local Government Area of the State, while several communities now have paved internal roads for the first time.

At the last count, over 18 major single lane roads, including Igwuruta-Chokocho road, Saapkenwa-Bori road, Tam David West Boulevard, Rumuokwurishi-Eneka-Igwuruta road, Rumuepirikom-Rumuolumeni road, Rebisi-TransAmadi-Oginigba road, Elelenwo-Woji road, Eagle Island-Iloabuchi road, Justice Iche Ndu, (Elelenwo-Akpajo) road, Birabi road, Emeyal road, Justice Iche Ndu road, Tombia road, Forces Avenue, Olumeni road, Abacha road, and Harley Street have become dual carriageways, while the dualization of Ezimgbu, Eastern Bypass, Ahoada-Omoku, and Egbema-Omoku roads is also underway.

In 2019, Gov Wike promised to deliver three flyovers to tackle the perennial traffic congestion in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas of the State. But today, the Governor has not only delivered the promised three; he has gone ahead with the simultaneously delivery of seven additional flyovers to the astonishment of even his worst critics who, acknowledge that what is going on in Rivers State on road delivery is short of a revolution.

Governor Wike is not just delivering roads; he is delivering quality roads with quality contractors and service providers. And because no place is left out, even some of the very remote communities in Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, including the ancient Opobo town, now have roads linking them to the state capital and other Local Government Areas of the State for the very first time in history. Equally worthy of note is the first phase of the Trans-Kalabari road which is poised to be realized under Gov Wike to the relief of people who had waited for this long to be connected to the state capital.

The Governor has delivered trunk A roads across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, delivered roads to some of the most far-flag communities in the state and improved road inter-connectivity and driving trade, commerce and economic growth at an unprecedented scale.

Gov Wike's Accelerated Road Development Programme (ARDP) which was motivated by the mission to build and actualize a modern road network fit for a modern Rivers State; support economic growth, improve the well-being of all residents and meet the State's future developmental goals. ARDP engaged Julius Berger Nigeria Limited and CCECC Nigeria limited to repair, reseal and rehabilitated potholes and broken places in more than 70 streets and roads across the state measuring approximately over 20 kilometres.

ARDP did comprehensive repair, reconstruction and restoration of all streets and roads in Diobu measuring approximately 26 kilometres.

ARDP at the Port Harcourt township 17 streets measuring approximately 20.2 kilometres and 12 streets measuring approximately 18 kilometres in Ogbum-Nu-Abali were delivered within the first two years of the administration.

Restoration of Old Government Reservation Area, Amadi Flats and the New Government Reservation Area, phase 1, 2 and 3 are the most prestigious residential places in Rivers State. A total of 37 roads/streets measuring approximately 98 kilometres has been executed successfully and commissioned.

BRIDGES AND FLYOVERS.

Bridges and Flyovers are major components of road construction. While bridges link two ends of a particular road, flyovers are essentially roads on top of existing roads to also link two ends and ensure free flow of vehicular traffic.

Since 2015 Gov Wike has constructed a number of bridges across creeks and rivers to interconnect communities across the state. In addition the Governor has also constructed an unprecedented number of flyovers to beautify the skylines and resolve the perennial traffic jams at major intersections in the most urbanized Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas of the State.

While three flyovers have been completed and commissioned, seven others are simultaneously under construction. The list and status of the bridges and flyovers delivered by Gov Wike are as follows:
1. Abuloma Woji Road Bridge, Completed.
2. Nkpogu Road Bridge 1, Completed.
3. Nkpogu Road Bridge 2, Completed.
4. Eagle Island-Iloabuchi Road Bridge, Completed.
5. Abonnema-Obonoma Link Bridge, Completed.
6. Woji-Akpajo Road Bridge, Completed.
7. Oginigba-Woji Road Bridge, Completed.
8. Rebisi Flyover, Completed.
9. Rumuogba Flyover, Completed.
10. Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover, Completed.
11. Rumuola, Ongoing.
12. GRA Junction Flyover, Ongoing.
13. Oroworukwo (Waterlines) Flyover, Ongoing.
14. Abali Flyover, Ongoing.
15. Ikokwu Flyover, Ongoing.
16. Rumuepirikom Flyover, Ongoing.
17. Rumuokwurushi (Tank Junction) Flyover, Proposed.

In the last six years, Gov Wike has embarked on the most ambitious and impacting delivery of modern roads under the ARDP, which involves the construction, reconstruction, expansion and upgrading of both existing and new road networks across the State in the following areas:
i. Intra city and Local Government roads;
ii. Intra local governments and communities roads;
iii. Strategic Bridges and Flyovers; and
iv. Rural and Internal communities roads.

Consequently, Rivers State under Gov Wike has in the last six years experienced;
* the biggest construction of modern road network since creation;
* the delivery of road connectivity for almost every town, city or settlement within Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas; the biggest area of human settlement and commercial areas of the state.
* the delivery of road connectivity to some far-flung towns and communities in Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas of the State, including the headquarter towns of Ngo and Opobo; for the first time in history.
* the delivery of road connectivity between and within several towns and communities in almost all the Local Government Areas of the State;
* the dualization of several roads in Ikwerre, Etche, Ahoada East, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Tai, Gokana, and Khana Local Government Areas of the State;
* the delivery of flyovers in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas; and connecting bridges across the state.
* set to deliver more trunk-A roads, including:
* The 23km Bori-Kono dual carriageways.
* The first phase of Ahoada-Omoku dual carriageway.
* The Ogbum-Nu-Abali Eastern Bypass dual carriageway.
* Woji-Aleto-Alesa road;
* Ogu-Ekporo-Kpagar-Wakama road; and
* The first phase of Trans-Kalabari road.

POSITIVE IMPACT.

1. Delivered tarmacked trunk-A roads to several cities, towns and communities across the State without connectivity before this administration.
2. Delivered tarmacked trunk-A roads connectivity for the first time in history to riverine towns and communities in Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas of the State, including the ancient coastal town of Opobo;
i. cleared all the roads and streets in and around the State capital, Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas of potholes;
ii. completed most abandoned road works inherited from previous administrations and opened up major new state trunk roads to connect as many communities and local government headquarters;
iii. restored road quality and environments in Government Reservation Areas in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas;
vi. built and still building more flyovers to change the city's skylines and ease traveling time for commuters by resolving perennial traffic jams along major intersections in Port Harcourt and other emerging cities in Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas;
v. provided as many rural communities with internal and interconnecting tarmac roads to other parts of the State; and
vi. Generally, these roads are impacting on the growth of social and economic activities in and around the State.

Extract from Rivers State: Six Years of Audacious Transformation.

Meshach Alaputa Jaja, CPA.
Ag. Chief Press Secretary,
Opobo/Nkoro LGA.

This is why we need to reduce the south south allocation by reviewing the revenue allocation formula to suit the north because of our population.

For whatever reason, nothing for Obigbo

Kaduna1stson:
This is why we need to reduce the south south allocation by reviewing the revenue allocation formula to suit the north because of our population.

You should have proposed total exclusion of the south south from the allocation list. Just order them to bring their IGR to the North too.