Today, it was a pleasure to have attended the official commissioning of the Ogbia/Nembe Road. It is public knowledge that the Road Project is one of the most important roads linking communities in the Eastern Senatorial District and it was a partnership between SHELL and NDDC. As a result of its importance, my administration took a lot of interest in it even though it was not originally a State project. I held over ten formal meetings with the partners Shell and NDDC, leaders of communities, youths and also security agencies, where we were able to streamline all the issues in dispute that stalled this project years before I became governor after which I gave matching orders for the project to be accomplished. When I was told that because of the squabbles and unresolved issues, there was no agreement to pay the contractor to meet the deadline that I had set for them, my administration supplied the three billion naira that the contractor requested to take the road to Nembe. I handed over the draft of three billion naira to the contractor in the presence of kings and leaders of the district and the general public.
So today, it was a pleasure to have been there even though the road has been in use since. In my remarks, I congratulated the NDDC and SHELL for the partnership and called for more of such collaborations and partnerships on big ticket projects in the State like this road. I call on all, NDDC, SHELL, AGIP, AITEO, the Federal Government and other development agencies to support the State government in driving partnerships like this on all major projects.
With this road completed, the State government is on track by commencing the next phase which is Nembe to Brass but that road is too important to be left for the state government alone. The federal government must activate their partnership with the NNPC,SPDC, NDDC, AGIP and AITEO to support the state government in taking this road to Brass.
Similarly, the Central road construction project which my administration started from Ikule Creek Bridge to Aguobiri which the current administration has taken to Angiama and working on the Bridge to Oporoma should not be left alone for the state government but there should be partnership to support them to advance the road to Oporoma and beyond to Ukubie and Kolo-ama which was my administration’s initial plan.
In the Western Front, we toiled in a recession despite the treacherous terrain to commence the road to Ekeremor. I also call for partnership on that road. Now that a finishing touch has been put to the road, the state government should not be left alone to advance the road to Agge. Our partners SHELL, NDDC, AGIP, and all the companies working in that area should support the state government with the federal ministry to ensure that they partner on that Ekermor/Agge road to open up our state to our maritime resources. As I have said always the wealth of the state is in the sea and I am happy that we are making progress steadily.
I congratulate all the partners, the State and our people. I commend the communities, the Youths and Security agencies that were very helpful during the very difficult phases of the construction of this road.
