Prior to the 2015 General Elections, Port Harcourt, and Obio/Akpor, Akpajo Eleme, Igbo-Etche and Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Government Area all have played their role in maintaining the official capital status of Rivers State and each bears rustic nature without indices of urban city.
But right from the moment Barrister Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike was elected and sworn in on 29th of May, 2015, the story of Urban Renewal and Infrastructural development in the aforementioned areas took a giant stride. Thus began the quick and decisive political will to turn all the roads clogged with articulated vehicles to major streets of Port Harcourt Task Force on Ban on Street Trading and illegal Car Parks took immediate action in removing abandoned vehicles in the streets and brought sanity and security in the City of Port Harcourt.
The provision and maintenance of Brother Felix Obuah, a former Chairman of Rivers State Chapter Peoples Democratic Party-PDP, was reassigned to manage the Rivers State Waste Management -RIWAMA as a Sole Administrator and this has brought cleanliness to the major roads and adjoining streets. The expansion of Trunk A and Trunk B roads located at the City Centre better known as the Port Harcourt Urban city. The popular Ikwerre road leading to the Port Harcourt International Airport Igwurunta Road was expanded by LUBRIK Construction Company-LCC and inside the traditional markets of Rumuwoji and Ogbunabali Fruits Vegetables Market were totally rebuilt in ultra-modern style with architectural masterpiece that could be found in Europe and North America and perhaps in major cities of Japan, Russia.
Absolutely, marvelous was the coming of Julius Berger Construction giant firm in taking up construction the most difficult areas of the conglomerate city of Port Harcourt. This provided a well-coordinated Masterplan for Urban renewal and infrastructural development of mega city of Port Harcourt, which shows that the chief exclusive officer Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, is truly a grass roots son of the soil, who knows the nooks and crannies of Rukpokwu community, Eliohali and other rising suburbs in Location axis off NTA Mgbuoba road got the attention of Rivers State Chief Executive Chief Barrister Wike Akpajo Elelenwo Road got truly dualized providing free flow of traffic in and out from the city center of Port Harcourt. Those who witnessed the emergence of GRA Phase 8 in ENEKA community of Ikwerre Local Government Area but inside Port Harcourt mega city. Several roads in GRA Phases 1,2 and 3 have been rehabilitated by Julius Berger Construction company and commissioned for public use. In the Arts Nigeria’s Ace comedian and Film director now DG River State Tourism Development Agency Yibo Koko is creating a new face of Rivers state in engaging Rivers state youth to embrace multi billion tourism projects Governor Wike has outlined. Madrid Youth Football Academy has started in earnest providing training for the future professional Football stars coming from the good foundation laid by Governor Wike.
In the Healthcare Sector, Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic brought the best in administration as Rivers Sstate Governor was able to reduce the spread irrespective of the fact that his state is having an international gateway via the Atlantic Ocean and Madrid of International Oil company workers residing and doing business in Rivers State.
Nowadays Public officers in Rivers State are being provided with accommodation such as JUDGES QUARTER, ultra-modern SUV vehicles for optimal mobility for carrying out their jobs. Legislatures from Rivers state serving in the National Assembly were recently provided with SUV Jeep cars befitting of their elevated status in the society which Governor Wike knows how best to provide an enabling environment for bringing out the best in officers working with him. Former Braithwaite memorial hospital BMH is now Rivers State University Teaching Hospital courtesy of Governor Wike’s articulate reasoning in manpower development and making sure that Rivers State University of Science and Technology got accreditation for university status, which has allowed more courses to be introduced in the various faculties of the Rivers state University. While most universities in Nigeria were under lock and key owing to ASUU Academic Staff Union of University—ASUU did not have Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and other tertiary institutions in Rivers state affected as their welfare have been adequately taken care by Rivers State Governor hence academic activities went on smoothly with international students in exchange programmes not having their schedules of academic time-table not disrupted.
Today, his efforts in Urban renewal and infrastructural development have led to the construction of 8- Flyover bridges with Rumuogba Flyover bridge, Okoro-nu-Odo Flyover bridge, Rebesi Flyover Bridge, GRA Aba Road Flyover bridge, Rumuola Flyover Bridge, Kaduna Street / Nzimiro Amadi Flat Roundabout Flyover bridge with Ikoku Spare Parts Market Flyover Bridge coming to add aesthetic value to the landscape of Port Harcourt returning to its garden city status which it was known during the Colonial era with beautiful trees lining the major streets and good accessible motorable roads making traveling and doing business in Rivers State easy and convenient to the citizenry and business community.
-Emeka Amaefula
