Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has said that his administration is deliberately creating new roads through Woji and Eleme towns into Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone to encourage substantial industrial activities and advance the Rivers economy.
The roads include the new 10.3kilometre Indorama-Agbonchia-Ogale-Ebubu-East West Link Road; the 6.5kilometre dual carriage Woji-Aleto-Alesa-Refinery Road, the reconstruction of the 7.2kilometre long Alode-Onne Road and 3kilometre Alode internal Roads.
Wike spoke at the flag-off of reconstruction work on the 7.2kilometre long Alode-Onne Road and 3kilometre internal Roads on Tuesday, which was performed by Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River State in Alode town of Eleme Local Government Area.
The governor said Eleme council serves as the economic hub of Rivers State and everything is being done to attract more investors while encouraging already existing ones.
He stated that the efforts of his administration are deliberate and determined to open up the area some more.
“This is the economic hub of the State, therefore everything must be done to make sure more economic activities are attracted here. Opening all these roads will of course give the companies the hope that one day the Federal Government will remember the East-West Road.”
The governor remarked that the likes of Isaac Kamalu and Senator Olaka Nwogu, among other leaders, are behind some development projects attracted to the area.
With proof of such a democratic dividend, Governor Wike said, Eleme people will listen to their leaders when they come to tell them who to vote in the 2023 general election.
Governor Wike emphasised that their sons, particularly Orji Ngofa, a former Nigerian ambassador to The Netherlands and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed to attract a democratic dividend to his people despite the fact that he served the Federal government and was closed to the former minister of transportation.
“Look at the only seaport (Onne) we have that is employing our youths, while we had a minister of transportation and Orji was an ambassador, what happened? They killed our seaport.”
Performing the flag-off, former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke noted that despite the heightening political activities, governor Wike has not abdicated governance.
Duke said it takes a man who loves his people and desires the gains of development for them that will set out 23 more days flagging off more projects at the twilight of the administration.
The former Cross River State governor acknowledged that governor Wike has developed Rivers State tremendously and secured the peace, which has made it liveable for all Nigerians.
Duke regretted that in Nigeria, critical roads to connect seaports to industrial companies are not constructed and maintained. Such bad culture, he pointed out, frustrates evacuation of goods to the market and for export, thereby making the county lose massive revenue.
“Unfortunately, there’s a complete disregard for the critical sectors of our economy. that you cannot have ingress or egress out of Eleme is a sad thing to say. Ordinarily, this should be a national concern. You can’t cut your nose to spite your face. This is what Nigeria does all the time. Forget the politics, forget what party is leading. Forget who the governor is, but you get massive revenues from the investments that are in these areas and you ignore evacuation.”
Duke expressed optimism that with the massive investment in roads and other critical infrastructure in Rivers State, which ironically is not the richest in the country, it will soon emerge as the industrial heartbeat of the nation.
“If each state had done something to the extent in which they can, and this state is not the richest state in Nigeria. There are states that get a lot more, but you can’t see it. You have to really strain your eyes to see what they’ve done with their resources.”
