By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The construction of flyovers in Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt has raised mixed reactions from the residents.
The first to be commissioned flyover since the inception of the second tenure of Gove Nyesom Wike is the Ogbum nu Abali flyover project by the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola.
The commissioning of the flyover project, one of the three flyover projects awarded by Governor Wike in 2019 at the cost of N21bn, was greeted with pomp and pageantry.
So far, nine flyover projects have been inaugurated by the governor.
Rumuogba, Okoro-Nu-Odu, Rumuola flyover bridge by CFC/Corpus Christi bus stop and GRA Junction flyovers, are also among the projects.
But speaking to NatureNews, some residents are in support of the projects while some think it would have been better the governor built in areas that need it.
Paul Chinda, a civil servant, hailed the governor for making efforts to ensure that the state is free from traffic issues.
Meanwhile, another resident who claimed anonymity lamented that the construction of flyover bridge at GRA and Ada George areas is irrelevant as it is causing more inconveniences for motorists and commuters.
He also added that the governor should extend his road projects to the rural communities.
However, in a post last year by the Commissioner of Information and Communications, Paul Nsirim, the economic benefits were spelt out in an article written by Dornubari Kiinee.
The article was tilted the economic benefits of Wike’s Road, flyover and bridge projects.
The article reads, “Rivers State, especially its metropolitan areas must be repositioned for the massive economic boom on the horizon in the state, due to three main factors I will outline and briefly explain below.
“1) Optimisation of Port Harcourt International Airport: Following the completion of the international terminal of Port Harcourt International Airport by the Federal Government, with its cargo terminal near completion. And the state government’s successful wooing of Turkish Airlines; Ethiopian Airlines et al, which has seen flights from Port Harcourt to 250 destinations in 121 countries. Port Harcourt International Airport has been really busy until COVID-19 pandemic.
“2) Gradual resuscitation of Onne and Port Harcourt seaports: Ports in Rivers State have had a significant turnaround in recent times, large container ships have started berthing in these ports, unlike what was obtainable in the past. We witnessed for the first time the largest containership measuring 265 metres in length by the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) at the Onne Port Complex, Rivers State. According to Business Day, The ship, named JPO Volans, is the first gearless vessel and the largest containership ever to visit a seaport outside the Lagos area.
“3) Improved security in the state: Ever since the state government launched Operation Sting and donated hundreds of patrol vans; gunboats and other equipments to security agencies in Rivers State, crime rate has been on an astronomical decline. We no longer hear about abduction of passengers and school children; we hardly wake up with the news of cult related killings these days. The security story of the state is fast changing for good. All thanks to the cordial working relationship between the state government and security agents.
“With these factors mentioned above and the monumental infrastructural development being carried out by Wike’s administration, the government might not necessarily need to focus more on building industries before jobs are created, because investors will come in droves. Please read the statement again, I never said building industries is bad, but I will like to describe that as a mechanical way of job creation. Creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, by harnessing the holistic potentials of the said terrain is a more effective way of creating jobs, and that is exactly what Gov. Nyesom Wike led administration is doing.
“Why flyovers?
Basically, flyovers tackle the issue of traffic gridlock which cripples economic activities. Lagos State loses vast percentage of its daily revenues to loss of man-hours as a result of ludicrous gridlock the state is faced with. If we don’t put in mechanisms to solve that while we can still do, we may not be able tackle it when economic activities in the state triples.
“In a nutshell, Governor Nyesom Wike is not building roads, flyovers and bridges just to beautify the metropolis, but to position the state for greater things ahead. You would need an open mind and foresight to agree with me though.”
