Abuja – Integrated Logistics Limited Company (Intels) has fully paid up
its contribution of one billion Naira (N1,000,000,000), being part of the
three billion Naira (N3,000,000,000) needed for the repair of the
collapsed six kilometre portion of the East/West road in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State.
The Public Relations Manager of Intels, Mr Isidore Sambol made the
revelation of the redemption of the amount to newsmen in Abuja over the
weekend while reacting to the warning of Governor Nyeson Wike at the
flag-off of the project on July 15.
Governor Wike of Rivers State had while flagging off the road repair work
on July 15 warned contributing companies to the project that they would
not be allowed to operate if they did not pay up their contributions.
“If you don’t pay your contribution, I will not allow you to operate. We
must do something to show that we have agreed on the rehabilitation of the
road,” Governor Wike had told the six partner countries.
The six companies including Intels and the Rivers State Government had
agreed to raise the N3 billion to fix the bad portion of the busy road
which is a gate way to other neighbouring states.
Sambol explained that Intels fully paid up its share of the repair of the
six kilometre portion of the collapsed East-West Road because of its
strategic importance to the socio-economic development of Rivers and
Nigeria as a whole and its avowed commitment to its corporate social
responsibility in the environment where it operates and to members of its
host communities.
He said that Intels, an oil and gas cargo handling company which has been
operating for over 30 years takes delight in impacting positively on the
lives of Nigerians living within its areas of operation.
He commended Governor Wike for the bold initiative of mobilising the six
companies operating within the area to raise the three billion Naira
needed to fix the road which has been a nightmare to its users for several
years.
“Our own workers stand to benefit from the effort because they suffer a
lot each working day manoeuvring their way through the heavy traffic
experienced on the road and the attendant pot holes as they make their way
to the office,” Sambol said.
“Every day, they get to the office so tired and will spend some time
reorganizing and adjusting to the work environment before facing the task
for the day. This can be very frustrating and counter-productive,” Sambol
said.
At the flagging off, Governor Wike said both lanes of the East/West road
from Eleme Junction to Onne exit point will be repaired and that the
project would be handled by Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) within a
period of two months.
He said that the state government could no longer wait for the Federal
Government to repair the road because of its economic importance to the
state.
Other companies that contributed in raising the fund include Indorama
Petroleum Limited, West African Container Terminal Limited, Port Harcourt
Refining Company Limited, Nigeria Ports Authority and Oil and Gas Free
Zones, Onne.