Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has gotten assurance that the first phase of the Odili/Woji/Akpajo link road will be ready in two months time.
Governor Wike had on Monday during inspection of works on the road charged the contractor, JDP Construction Nigeria to ensure that the phase one of the road stretching from Peter Odili Road to Woji is open for road users, while the other phase from Woji to Akpajo being handled by Rafaol Construction is completed with bridges.
He told newsmen that the road is very crucial to tackling traffic congestion in the city saying, “it is one of the project which we took loan from Access Bank. So when people say you took loan and what are you going to do with the money, this is part of why we took the loan”, Governor Wike stressed.
The road is over 10 kilometers with two bridges, and when completed will help decongest traffic at Aba Road and other major roads in Port Harcourt.
On the planned toll gate on the route, the Rivers State governor said government will not continue with such plans saying, “Toll gate is not the major issue what is the major issue is that our people move freely and traffic has been decongested. The business of government is not to make money. The business of government is to improve on the living standard of the people”.
Consequently, Governor Wike has expressed satisfaction on the pace of work on the Odili/Woji/Akpajo Link Road as he challenged the contractor to ensure that the first phase is open for traffic.
The governor said, “as at the last time I came this project was not where they were…Today you can see the level of sand-filling which has gotten to this area, and they have assured us that from the flyover that in the next two months they would have asphalted it”.
The governor promised that government is ready to meet its financial obligations as there are no variations on the project.
