Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, on Tuesday inaugurated the Egbeda internal road in Emohua Local Government Area, constructed at the cost N12 billion.
Speaking at the event, Fubara said that the road would improve the economic and social wellbeing of Egbeda community and the state at large.
He thanked the contractor, Monier Construction Company Limited (MCC) for completing the project within the stipulated period.
The governor assured Egbeda people that his administration would complete other internal roads projects in community.
Fubara also promised to upgrade the Egbeda Community School to a standard facility.
Fubara thanked the people of Egbeda community for giving a gift of 200 plots of land to his administration.
“I will discuss with my cabinet and the community heads on a project that will impact the lives of everyone in the community.
“I assure you that your community will continue to reap dividends of democracy under our administration,” he said.
Also speaking, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, commended Fubara for initiating people-oriented projects in different parts of the state.
Oborevwori said that the achievements of the governor within few months in office showed him as having the people’s interests at heart.
He said that the road would economically impact on the lives of the communities in the area.
He charged Egbeda people to ensure good maintenance culture in using the road, and avoid dumping refuse on the drainages.
Oborevwori urged Egbeda people to continue to support the Fubara-led administration, saying that peace will definitely return to the state.
He assured Egbeda people that the state governor would continue to provide them dividends of democracy.
Atemea Briggs, Permanent Secretary, Rivers Ministry of Works, said that the road would elevate the Egbeda community to a semi urban centre.
”The roads run across the nooks and crannies of the community. It will facilitate the movement of people and goods” he said.
Briggs said that the road was awarded by the previous administration on March, 9, 2023 to MCC at the cost of N3.87 billion.
Briggs said that the project was enlarged on Nov. 27, 2023 to include additional roads in order to better serve the community.
”This is what increased the contract sum to N 12 billion,” he said.
He said that before Fubara took over office on the May, 29, N1.5 billion of the contract sum had been paid by the previous administration.
The Permanent Secretary said that the total length of the road increased from 9.32 km to 21km, with total drainage length of 25.4 km.
Briggs said that each of the roads were constructed with 150 millimetres thickness of cement sand stabilized sub-based and a 150 milimiters of crushed dry stone base with two layers of asphaltic concrete surface.
He said that the specification would carry larger volume of traffic than it would be anticipated in a rural community.
Briggs stated that the contract was fully paid and the road completed and delivered at the stipulated period by the contractor.
Speaking on behalf of the community, a former Commissioner for Works and Environment, Mr Emmanuel Omah, thanked the governor for implementing the project.
Omah appealed to the governor to complete the construction of the remaining Egbeda internal roads, saying ‘”it will also help the community economically”
He further urged the governor to elevate the Chieftaincy stool of Egbeda community to a first class stool, and to rehabilitate the Community Secondary School.
Omah assured that the Egbeda community would continue to support the Fubara-led administration.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of MCC, Mr John Azuta-mbata, said that the completed road project would curb the perennial flooding in the community.
He said that MCC would remain committed to delivering the state government projects according to time and specification.(NAN)
