…says I was inspired by Donald Duke
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop making excuses and keep to its promises.
Wike said the APC should imitate the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the delivery of democratic dividends to the citizens.
He said the PDP had done well in Rivers by fulfilling the promises it made to people of the state adding that keeping of promises was the difference between the two parties.
Wike spoke on Monday when he led a former Cross Rivers State Governor, Donald Duke to inaugurate the Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover.
He challenged the APC to come out bold to tell Rivers people what they would do differently or had done already to convince the people to believe in them.
Wike said that like every other project, the Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover was among the best projects his administration had delivered because Rivers people deserved the best always.
He said: “I want to thank everybody for your support. Our party is not a party of excuses. When we say something, we do it. Let other parties emulate us. They should not be promising Nigerians and be giving excuses.
“We have promised and we have fulfilled. When they (APC) make promise they should fulfil. PDP has done all its campaigns in this state. Let the other parties come to tell us what they will do differently or had done while in office. Time is already gone for them.”
Wike said sceptics thought the three flyover projects he started in 2019 would not be completed within record time of 16 months.
But with Rebisi and Okoro-Nu-Odo flyovers completed and commissioned, he said his administration had further demonstrated commitment to enhance infrastructure in the state.
The governor warned community leaders who encouraged street traders around the area to desist from the act because trading activities would not be tolerated around the Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover.
He said: “To the paramount rulers of Rumuokoro Community and Rumuodumaya Community, tell your youths and CDCs, who are always collecting money here, I will not tolerate anybody who will covert this flyover as trading place.
“We cannot spend this money here and you turn this place into a market. I will not accept that. We have built market and Motor Park for you. Go and use them for your business activities.
“I have told the GOC of the 6 Division and the Garrison commander to tell all their men to stop what they’re doing on this road. They collect money and allow people to sell on the road. We won’t tolerate it again.
“Leave our road; this is not market, nobody should trade here. Allow the people to enjoy the road.”
Wike described former Governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, as role model who inspired him to perform in office.
He said: “I invited you because I know when you were governor, you performed very well. I will not bring anybody who did not perform in office to come and commission my projects.
“You’re our role model. We monitored you while you were in office and to see how you took Cross River from nothing to somewhere.
“Today, people talk of Cross River and carnival, who’s the originator? You’re the one who did everything to put Cross River on the world map. People should not forget history. Today, you are here to see the little thing we are doing, having emulated what you did.”
Inaugurating the Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover Bridge, Duke said Wike was a trail blazer who had demonstrated leadership and spent state resources prudently for the good of Rivers people.
Duke urged the benefiting communities of the project to cherish and protect the project as their own contribution to ensuring that the resource used to build the bridge does not amount to waste.
“I want to congratulate you the people for being steadfast with your son. You gave him support and he has delivered. Leadership is not about winning election. Leadership is about taking people to a destination.
“You may not always agree with Governor Wike at the onset. Later on you’ll understand the wisdom of his stance. But you are never in doubt where he stands on any issues and that’s leadership.
“Today, we are celebrating many things he has done; the development of a community, the prosperity that will be brought into the community, leaving the community better than he met it and of course, we are saying thank you that we have a leader which is very rare to find in our country, that is people who say what they mean and mean what they say”, he said.
Providing the description of the project, the Rivers State Commissioner of Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi said the Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover is one of three flyover projects sited strategically to ease travel time for commuters in the state.
He said: “The Okoro-Nu-Odo flyover measures 642.75 m from ramp to ramp, 360m of that being the suspended section. The transition area from the 4 lane East-West Road to the 8 lanes of the bridge project measures 236m. 8 lanes because we have 4 lanes on the bridge and 4 lanes on the ground for both service lanes on either side of the bridge, both of which measure 1,760m long and 8.3m wide.
“You are seated in one of the transition zones. This flyover which is a wonderful sight to behold at night is lit with 68 streetlight poles 26 of those are single arm while 42 are double arm giving you 110 nos of 250w luminares, not forgetting the 2 bulkhead luminares under the bridge. All of these are powered by a dedicated substation complete with a transformer and backup generator.”
The commissioner said the Flyover would ease travelling along the East-West road, and traffic decongestion around the area.
Former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze .C. J Okocha (SAN) lauded Governor Wike for his developmental stride and warned the people of the area against converting the flyover to a trading post.
