Florence Uwaeme
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has said his administration is in a hurry to develop new cities.
He said that the construction of the Port Harcourt Ring Road project would facilitate achieving that objective with enduring quality infrastructure provided for the people.
On Wednesday, Governor Fubara gave the assurance moments after the contract papers for the project’s construction were signed between the Rivers State government and Julius Berger Nigeria PLC at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt.
Signing on behalf of the Rivers State government were the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacheaus Adangor; Commissioner for Works, Dr George Kelly Dakorinama Alabo and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Mrs Ebere Dennis Emenike; while the Managing Director, Dr Lars Ritcher and Raymond Marisho, Assistant Regional Manager, signed for Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.
Sir Fubara explained that the best time to start a project with a completion period of 36 months is now, which is precisely why 77 per cent of the contract sum of N195.3B has been released to make Julius Berger give the required urgency to the project.
The governor charged traditional rulers and youths to own the project that will traverse their various communities and do nothing to disrupt its progress to avoid being suspended or prosecuted.
He said, “It’s important that everybody should give the necessary support because we need this project for development to come. Initially, people will suffer some inconveniences, but ultimately, it will benefit all”.
Governor Fubara also assured that while the Port Harcourt Ring Road project is ongoing, his administration will not relentlessly give attention to other critical sectors, including the health sector, by providing facilities, the requisite infrastructure and supporting them to deliver the best service to Rivers people.
In his speech, the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, Dr Lars Ritcher, noted that the company had been part of the infrastructural transformation of the immediate past administration and assured that the company would not compromise quality and timeliness in delivering the project because of the sustained confidence in them.
