Okija Traders Commend Gov. Wike For Road Rehabilitation, Pleads For Speedy Delivery
Business operators in Okija , a link road between part of D-Line, Fruit Garden and Emenike roads have commended governor Nyesom Wike for embarking on rehabilitation of the link road in the area, following long abandonment of the project.
The business operators include those who trade on electrical and lighting materials and other who are into buying and selling of consumer products. In an interview with the National Network, they expressed joy that the once abandoned road is currently gaining government attention. Speaking on the development, an electrical appliances dealer, Chief Linus Azuka, stated that for the period of time the road suffered from lack of attention, it affected business activities in the area as motorists consciously avoided plying the route. According to him, a good road network will help move business activities forward.
Speaking in similar vein,Mr. Chinda Favour , another business man thanked the Rivers State government for prioritizing the road rehabilitation at the commencement of the second term in office. He recounted how businesses and commercial transport operators had suffered in the wake of the abandonment which lasted for years. “I thank Mr. Projects for considering us here after all the story we heard about politicization of the road. I know the governor is working. We have seen what he did at the Fruit Garden, close to us here, without this road in good shape, the market and activities around it would have been incomplete. “
He appealed to the state government, especially the contractor handling the job not to abandon the project. He expressed the fear that since scrapping the rubble on the road and laying the framework, the rest of the construction had been stalled. He stated that this may have been due to the level of rainfall lately following the August Break.
A check by our reporter revealed that commercial taxi drivers plying the route have changed their movement pattern as some of them now ply the road linking Okija and part of Ikoku and Olu Obasanjo axis to arrive at Garrison and Wogu terminal. The drivers have equally hiked their fares as passengers now pay N100 as against N50 before the commencement of the road rehabilitation.
