Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned traders and tricycle operators not to ply the newly constructed Rumuokwurusi-Elelenwo-Akpajo road.
The governor, who issued this warning while inaugurating the road amid celebration by his kinsmen on Saturday, said the road was not constructed for traders, tricycle operators and business women to mess it up.
Wike, who renamed the road after a retired chief justice of the state, Iche Ndu, recalled that the road was abandoned by the immediate past administration, adding that the task force against street trading and related matters had been put in place to ensure that traders don’t take over the road.
He said: “This road was not constructed by ordinary company. I did not do this road for business women and Keke (tricycle) riders to spoil it. The task force must be effective to ensure that traders do not take over the road.
“We, as a people, must make sacrifices to keep Port Harcourt neat and peaceful. Because of Justice Iche Ndu, this road was abandoned by the previous administration, and for that reason, we rename this road after him.”
Wike said many residents of the area would have forgotten the deplorable nature of the 5.6 kilometre road linking the two local government areas in the state.
He added, “People will easily forget the very deplorable condition of this road before we intervened. Today, Julius Berger through consistent funding by the state government has delivered one of the best roads.
“The previous administration refused to construct the road because some prominent Elelenwo indigenes lived around here; specifically, the former chief judge of Rivers State, Justice Iche Ndu, and House of Representatives member, Kingsley Chinda.”
He expressed surprise that after the construction of the road, a Traditional Ruler from the area who thought he would not get re-elected joined the opposition to play negative politics.
The governor explained that his administration would inaugurate the construction of three flyovers in October, disclosing that funds for the projects had already been set aside.
He promised the people of Elelenwo that his government would liaise with the Inspector General of Police for a police station to be constructed with the community.
