By Akanimo Sampson
CONCERNS are mounting in Rivers State, a big oil and gas state in Southern Nigeria, over the deplorable state of roads in the as the rains set in.
Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, and the East-West Highway have been nightmarish for years now. These are major Federal roads with huge economic benefits to the country. In the past three years, remedial works only come when oil workers down tools.
These two major highways carry heavy-duty facilities for the oil and gas industry. During the wet season, its always been hellish for motorists and the travelling public.
In a seeming bid to avert the prevailing relative peace in the oil sector of the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration has promised to make the roads much better this time around as the heavens are emptying their bowels.
Media handlers claimed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, that the move is in line with the directive of Governor Nyesom Wike. The governor recently directed the state Ministry of Works to take concrete measures to ensure that all bad spots on the Federal Road are rehabilitated for the free flow of traffic.
On Wednesday, the contractors worked on the UTC-Spar section of the Federal Road, reconstructing failed portions and placing new layers of asphalt to reinforce the road.
While issuing the directive to the State Ministry of Works, Governor Wike maintained that his administration will always intervene in abandoned Federal roads critical to the economy of the state.
He said that Aba road is an arterial road which will not be left to degenerate.
It will be recalled that the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has intervened in three Federal roads.
The roads include: Eleme junction to Onne junction of the East West Road, NPA-INDUSTRY road and the Igwuruta-Chokocho road.