Rivers Government on Wednesday inaugurated the rehabilitation and reconstruction of six kilometer stretch of the East-West road project worth N3 billion.
The road leads to Port Harcourt refinery and Onne Sea Port.
Gov. Nyesom Wike said during the exercise in Aleto-Eleme, Rivers, that the road was partly funded by both state government, private and public companies.
Wike said that the road had been in deplorable condition for years and needed urgent intervention.
He said that the state government could not wait for the Federal Government to repair the road due to the importance the road played on both state and nation’s economy.
According to him, we cannot wait until the Federal Government intervenes; hence we decided to take the bull by the horn and partner with the investors.
“Due to the impassable condition of the road; virtually all companies operating in the area are threatening to pull out.
“It is simply inhuman and unimaginable that people will be spending three hours driving from Port Harcourt to Eleme on a road that most resources of the country come from.
“More importantly, rehabilitation of this road will put to an end incessant case of kidnapping, robbery, extortion and killings which occur regularly,” he said.
Wike said that the road rehabilitation awarded to Reynolds Construction Company would be completed in two years.
The governor revealed that N1.5 billion would be paid for the first phase, while the remaining would be paid to the contractor when the project reached 80 per cent completion.
Rivers Government together with Indorama, Intel, West Africa Container Terminal, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Ports Authority and Onne and Gas Free Zone Authority are funding the project.
(NAN)
