Date Published: 01/18/10

Rivers AC & Amaechi's 2010 Take-off Projects

Rotimi Amaechi

The Rivers State AC State Chairman, Mr Suage Badey has commended the Amaechi administration for an excellent take-off for the year 2010 as against a lot off inconsistencies in the preceding year. The party noted the almost completed Oginigba dual road linking Trans-Amadi Industrial Area with Woji and Rumubiakani axis off the Port-Harcourt metropolis is remarkable, also noted is the Rumuola/Rumuokuta dual link road which has been completed. This, the Party believes has brought about some temporary relief particularly to motorists plying these routes as well as to persons engaged in comercial activities and those residing in and around these areas.

The Party is calling on the government to apply a more strategic approach on the Rumuokwuta/Choba road, Rumuobiakani/ Rumuomasi road and Elekahia/market road junction road by utilising the dry season. Anything other than that would not be tolerated by the Action Congress and the good people of Rivers State if they are not completed by the time the rainy season returns. The Chairman remarked that the objective of Governor Amaechi to dualize most of the internal roads in the city was a well thought out strategy that will not only lessen traffic congestion within Port Harcourt city but will also bring about a face lift; putting into consideration other aspects of urban renewal that are being initiated.

The Party is however dissapointed over the quality of street lights that have already been installed on the completed roads, eg Oginibga and Rumuola roads. Mr Badey is of the opinion that a great percentage of taxpayers in the state are living up to their civic responsibilities and for a state that is at the moment operating at a targeted monthly internally genereted revenue of 6 billion naira monthly, such sub-standard street lights that would not stand the test of time amounts to a waste of state resources and tax payers efforts. The contractors should be made to replace these lights with ones that are ISO compliant to save the state from re-awarding similar contract in no distant future. He also said that the time has come for effective quality control measures and essential profiling of contractors to determine those who have the patriotic zeal to always provide good service to our people. A quality control unit should be established while contractors with a penchant for profit-making while throwing away profesional ethics, subjecting the state to window dressing, lacking in quality and standards comparable to the developed world should be immediately blacklisted.

The Party also frowned at another recent attempt by certain unscrupulous persons trying to infiltrate the Party through the back door which culminated in a failed press conference on Friday the 15th of January. The said press conference which was sponsored by non-members of the Party in collaboration with some disgruntled members met their waterloo when unwavering Party members who were invited to the meeting requested for the State Chairmans clearance for such a meeting and why it was being held on Aggrey road and not the Party Secretariat. It should be recalled that on the 20th of Nov, 2009 in a communique, the State Party Chairman, Mr Suage Badey warned about such infiltrators and said suspensions of erring members who have opted for anti-Party activities must be shown the way out as a way of ensuring that the focus and objectives of our great Party is sustained. This led to the suspension of Chief Eze Chukuemeka Eze and Mr Norisia Pepple, the ousted Publicity Secretary of the Party and the State Youth Leader respectively. The Enlarged Exco of the Party then replaced them with Chineye Nwulu and Goodnews Ndunake accordingly.

The roles of erring Party members are being investigated and appropriate action would be taken in due course

By Chinenye Nwulu