By S. Long Williams Esq.
Robert Collier once mused and said “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out”
He started as a Local Government Chairman and without much ado his impact was felt and Obio/Akpor Local Government never remained the same. His impact was intimidating, remarkable and profound and all residents/those doing business in the Obio/Akpor Local Government and even beyond agreed after his tenure that yes, once a collosus bestrode the Local Government. Same applied when he became Minister of State in the Federal Ministry of Education. It was a revolution of dramatic proportions, schools, colleges and other institutions sprang up in different nooks and crannies of Nigeria and deplorable/ dilapidated educational structures were refurbished and refurnished. It was uhuru at the educational sector when he was minister.
He became Governor of Rivers State in May, 2015. His first and most profound assignment which was executed with pristine executive dispatch was the immediate reopening of the Rivers State Judiciary which was shut down for one full year by his predecessor in office that brought untold hardship, suffering and penury to the generality of Rivers indigenes/residents especially Legal Practitioners and Awaiting Trial inmates. He also immediately swore in a Chief Judge for the state a position which was bedeviled with bickerings, acrimony and back stabbings amongst the core actors to the detriment of the state and the people.
He proceeded forthwith with his NEW agenda for the state as constructions works commenced in ernest simultaneously in all parts of the state. Roads, hitherto abandoned were either reconstructed or refurbished to make them passable and to fast track the economy of the state. The popular Creek Road up to Borokiri including Bonny Street and the two link roads leading to Creek Road from Aggrey Road and vice versa were reconstructed. His promise to construct a super highway from Sakpenwa in Tai Local Government Area to Kono Waterside in Khana Local Government Area to ease transportation and movement of goods and services in the state has been faithfully kept as the road is ninety percent complete. Almost every local Government Area in the state has benefited from one project to another. The Igwuruta/Chokocho Federal Road was promptly constructed and commissioned by the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osibajo SAN who gleefully described him as “Mr. Quality Project” Also work has commenced on the Chokocho/Igbodo Federal Road connecting Rivers State to Imo State and will be completed and commissioned soon. His audacity in the construction of this all important road cannot be overemphasized as this road is the only alternative road linking Rivers/Abia leading to Enugu and other parts of the country. With the unmotorability of the Port Harcourt/Aba Road, the reconstruction of this road is a major lifeline for the people of Abia, Imo & Rivers State including other states as the economic valuebility of this road is something to behold.
In the context of the instant piece, capacity is the ability or power to do or understand something. He has shown an uncanny capacity to deliver on his mandate as the elected Governor of Rivers State and this uncanny capacity is laced with an a rare specie of chuztpah in its elements. This man is Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, Pillar of Sport, Africa. The Mr Quality Project and the Most Outstanding Governor in the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Infrastructural Development.
On the last count, nine world class flyovers so far has been constructed and commissioned in the state and three more are currently under construction. He has commenced and completed the Abonnema Ring Road, the Trans Kalabari Road is under construction, the Bori Opobo Road has been completed and commissioned, the Andoni/ Nkoro Road is under construction and will be commissioned soon. The Odufor-Akpoku-Umoye Road in Etche Local Government Area has been completed and commissioned, the Eastern Byepass- Ogbunabali Road has been dualized and commissioned . Work on the Azikiwe-illuoabuchi Road is ongoing and will be commissioned by the first quarter of 2023, a new Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters has been completed and commissioned , the former RIVBANK Building along Aba Road has been completed and commissioned, the Dr. Peter Odilli Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease and Treatment Centre has been completed and commissioned, the Hon Justice Mary Odili Judicial Training Institute has been completed and commissioned, the Hon. Dr. Nabo Graham -Gouglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, the best of its kind in Sub Saharan Africa has been completed and commissioned.
He has taken his developmental strides to the nadir of unbelievable proportions. The Ahoada- Odiemerenyi-Ihugbogo- Odieke Road in Ahoada East Local Government Area has been completed and commissioned, the Ahoada- Ekpena Road is completed and commissioned , the Mgbuosimini-Nkpor Road is completed and commissioned, the Odioku Internal Roads in Ahaoda West Local the Area is completed and commissioned, the Rivers State Safe Home, Borokiri, Port Harcourt has been completed and commissioned, the Oyigbo- Okoloma Road is completed and commissioned. Work is frantically in progress in the construction of the Oyigbo– Afam Road project and will be completed and commissioned soon.
Other areas where he has demonstrated the audacity in his capacity is the completion and commissioning of the National Union of Rivers State Student National Secretariat, the decentralisation and construction of various campuses of the Rivers State University in Emuoha, Etche and Ahoada- East Local Government Areas, the construction of a new ultra modern Magistrate Court Complex is in progress and nearing completion. He has completed and commissioned the dualized Ezimgbu-Tombia Street Extention in G.R.A. Port Harcourt, he has completed and commissioned the Umueze-Umuogba- Umuompkurukpu- Umuroke-Umueke-Umunju-Umuelechi-Eberi Road in Omuma Local Government Area, he has completed and commissioned Internal Roads in Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area, he has completed and commissioned the Internal Roads in Ogbakiri, Emuoha- Local Government Area, completed and commissioned the Aluu-Omagwa Road, in partnership with SPDC and other stakeholders, he has completed and commissioned the multi million naira Cassava Processing Plant. Very recently, the Mgbuitanwo Internal Roads and the Akpabu-Itu-Omudioga-Egbeda Road all in Emuoha- Local Government Area has been completed and commissioned. Further completed and commissioned is the Rumkpakwulusi- Eliogbolo Layout Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. I can go on and on regarding the developmental strides of this Governor who has exhibited audacious capacity in leadership against all odds both natural and Man-made and aptly fits into the words of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister when he said “Leadership is not to do the easy thing, leadership is to do the right thing even if it is difficult”
To be continued…
