Former president, Goodluck Jonathan has called on the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to stop the escalation of political tension in Rivers.
Jonathan, who spoke while kicking off the construction of the N222.1bn Trans-Kalabari Road, said Fubara and Wike must work together to advance the growth and development of Rivers.
He observed that the political tension in the state was too much but said the crisis would not help the development of Rivers.
He said destabilizing Rivers would negatively affect the Niger Delta region and would also have spiral effects on the country insisting that Rivers remained critical to Nigeria.
Jonathan arrived the International Airport in Port Harcourt with his entourage at about 11am to commission the road construction, a legacy project designed to link the city with some coastal Ijaw communities in the state.
The invitation amid the ongoing political crisis was being interpreted in some quarters as part of the decision of Fubara and his team to reinforce their realignment with new friends.
The governor has been courting persons with different political orientation from Wike to boost his new political family.
A former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, who had a running battle with Wike when they were governors, was in the state recently to inaugurate a project following the governor’s invitation.
The Rivers State Executive Council recently approved the award of the contract for the construction of the main Trans-Kalabari Road project at N222.1bn.
The council approved the contract during its meeting presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and attended by the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu, and other members at the Government House.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson, said the project would be funded with savings from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Johnson said that 30 per cent mobilisation fee had already been paid for the project designed to be completed within 32 months, adding that the contractor was expected to move men and materials to site immediately.
He said: “We have awarded contract to the tune of N222,114,563,830.2 kobo only for the commencement of the Trans-Kalabari Road. This is the main Trans-Kalabari Road. The one that had happened in the past, was building of bridges.
“But here, we are doing a Trans-Kalabari Road that is going to run from NSS Pathfinder immediately after Mgbuodohia Community, and extends to about 2km to the Aker Base Road in Rumuolumeni Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
“That road will pass through the swamps behind the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Rumuolumeni, moving southwards towards the first bridge crossing. The road continues through a series of bridges. That road will run, connecting many communities up to Tombia Town.
“That project will be completed in 32 months, and we are paying from our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). We are not going to be borrowing money for that project.
“That is about the third phase of us generating fund internally for our road projects without going to anywhere to borrow money.”
