Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said his administration’s delivery of major infrastructure projects will give the All Progressives Congress (APC) an advantage in the forthcoming general elections.
Fubara said the projects would provide APC candidates with tangible achievements to present to voters, particularly at the grassroots, during their campaigns.
The governor stated this on Wednesday while commissioning the 14.5-kilometre Agba-Ndele Road and a 239.4-metre bridge linking communities in Emohua and Abua/Odual Local Government Areas of the state.
He said the project, alongside other infrastructure commissioned by his administration, would make it easier for APC candidates to connect with voters and campaign on the party’s record.
“I believe that what we have done here today will make it easy for our candidate that will be representing us in the forthcoming elections. When he comes here to campaign, more especially in Emohua, he will tell them: my party did this and my party did that. So it will be easy for us to win election here,” Fubara said.
The governor said the road and bridge reflected his administration’s commitment to taking development to rural communities and ensuring that government projects translate into tangible benefits for residents.
He explained that the intervention became necessary after the poor condition of the old Abua Road created difficulties for commuters and increased travel time along the route.
“I’m not interested in just doing anything; I’m interested in doing something that can add value and change the life of our people,” he said.
Fubara described the project as timely, saying it would ease the difficulties faced by residents travelling between Abua, Ndele and surrounding communities.
He also disclosed that the bridge was initiated by an earlier administration and was not started by either his government or that of his immediate predecessor.
However, he said he decided to complete it because governance should be treated as a continuous process, with each administration building on projects that benefit the people.
“When you see something that will benefit the people, it doesn’t matter who started it. What is important is you complete it and put it to use,” the governor said.
Fubara commended the people of Ndele for supporting the contractor and urged other communities to cooperate with government and contractors working on public projects.
The governor also charged the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, and his Abua/Odual counterpart, Hon. Owolobi Michael Ofori, to take responsibility for protecting government projects located in their respective areas.
He urged residents, youth groups and traditional rulers in Agba-Ndele and neighbouring communities to regard the road and bridge as community assets and protect them from vandalism.
“Government can build, but the people must protect,” Fubara said.
He warned that vandalism and destruction of public infrastructure would undermine development and amount to a waste of public funds.
Earlier, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Prof. Temple Nwofor, gave details of the project.
He said the road spans 14.5 kilometres, with a 10.3-metre binder-course width, a 7.3-metre wearing-course width and three-metre shoulders.
According to him, the drainage system measures 0.6 metres by 0.6 metres.
Nwofor said the bridge comprises a 239.4-metre structure with a 10.3-metre width, including 1.5-metre walkways on both sides, as well as a 1.2-kilometre access road.