A great air of excitement has pervaded the atmosphere of Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital and the Garden City of Nigeria. Come Saturday, November 7, 2020, it will be D-day! The day for the all-important, long awaited commissioning of the popular ‘Garrison Flyover’ (officially called Rebisi Flyover).
Port Harcourt, once again is a beehive of activities, playing host to the high and mighty, who have come to celebrate the birthing of another flyover – with three in the kitty and in final stages of completion, awaiting commissioning.
A statement released by Rivers State government on Friday and signed by Information and Communications Commissioner, Paulinus Nsirim says Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has extended invitations to the general public for a first hand witnessing ofthe official commissioning of the state-of-the-art Rebisi Flyover which would hold by 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2020.
According to the Commissioner, the inauguration would be performed by Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Honourable Minister of Works and Housing.
The statement urged all invitees to adhere to Covid-19 protocols including wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing.
The history of flyovers construction in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital began with the administration of Lt. colonel Dauda Musa Komo who superintended the affairs of the state as Military Administrator from December 1993 to August 1996 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.
Although Komo’s tour of duty was basically to restore peace and stability to the state, which he professionally achieved at the expense of many lives, monumental social dislocations and humanitarian crisis, not just in Ogoni, but also across most other communities, he further embarked on the construction of projects including the Kaduna Street (Traffic Light) flyover on Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway.
Within the six months stint of Sir Celestine Omehia administration, he initiated and commenced construction of the Eliozu flyover, the second of its kind which was expanded and completed by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi when he took over the realms of governance in 2007.
Amaechi also expanded and completed the Eleme Junction Interchange and also initiated and completed two new ones at Sani Abacha/Agip intersection and Obiri Ikwerre.
However, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has etched his name in gold with the construction of five flyovers to his credit.
The Rivers State House Assembly had approved Governor Wike’s loan requestto the sum of N18bn. The Governor had requested the approval of the legislators to source this sum from Access Bank in order to execute some of the infrastructural projects in the state.
Wike had said that the loan would be repaid before the end of the lifespan of the present administration through the state’s Internally Generated Revenue. One of the projects earmarked for the approved loan is the construction of a flyover at the popular GRA Junction on Aba Road, within Port Harcourt metropolis, the state capital.
This is the fourth flyover Wike would be constructing in the last one year; all located in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor LGAs. The governor had awarded the construction of three flyovers to Julius Berger Construction Company which will also understandably build the fourth flyover.
Among them are the popular Rumuokoro Junction flyover, the Garrison Junction flyover and the Artillery Junction flyover. These other three projects are at different levels of completion.
An elated Governor Wike had declared during the ground breaking ceremony: “It is unprecedented that a state can dream, commence and complete construction of five flyovers within a year.
“We will pay Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, 70 per cent of the contract sum up front. This will make them to keep to the terms agreed on delivering the job within 12 months.
“The rains cannot be used as an excuse because we are going to pay them. I trust the capacity of Julius Berger and I believe that Rivers State deserves the best,” he stated.
The governor dismissed comments by critics that he was concentrating development on Port Harcourt to the detriment of other parts of the state.
