The Honourable Commissioner for Works in Rivers State, Dr. George-Kelly D. Alabo, FNIQS has extolled his boss, Governor Nyesom Wike for starting and completing the first phase of Trans-Kalabari Road project.
Dr. George-Kelly maintained that previous administrations made mention of Trans-Kalabari Road project which is very key to the people of Kalabari, but it never saw the light of day until Governor Wike came on board, flagged off the construction of the phase 1 of the project and completed it as promised.
The Commissioner stated this at the commissioning ceremony of Trans-Kalabari Road, Phase 1, on Tuesday, 28 March, 2023.
“Today we are here to commission the Trans-Kalabari Road, Phase 1, linking six Kalabari communities to the mainland. Krakrama, Minama, Sangama, Omekwe-Tariama, Angulama, and Omekwe-Ama.
“These are communities that have existed for centuries without road access to the mainland. They use boats to convey chippings in sack bags before they can build houses. Before now they used to go through chikoko and mangrove vegetation to access their communities.
“Today history is being made, several governments in the past have made attempts to give us this key project, but they were all efforts in futility. You came, you awarded, and in no time, you are here for the commissioning of the project. Your Excellency you have put your name in the sands of time so far as the Kalabari Ethnic Nationality is concerned,” he said.
Describing the project, the Commissioner stated that the project is 13.545 kilometres long.
“This is a 13.545km road in all, we have the main alignment of 10.1 kilometres. We have two spurs, the first spur of 2.545 kilometres linking Sangama, and another spur of 880 metres linking Minama.
“We have a bridge with a total length of 262 metres. It has a total of 11 spans. The bridge is sitting on 92 number 100 millimetre-diameter piles driven into ground to 21 metres. We have a total pile length of 35 metres. The bridge has 88 reinforced concrete beams.
“On the pavement, more than 1 metre of soil substitution was done, soil replacement was done with sand, 5 percent soil cement stabilisation was also done. We have 150 millimetres of stone base, 60 millimetres of binder course, and 40 millimetres of wearing course. For the bridge width, we have a total of 11 metres,” the Commissioner added.
In his remarks, Rivers State Governor, His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike said the execution of the first phase of Trans-Kalabari Road project is a fulfilment of one of his campaign promises to the people of Kalabari Kingdom.
“During my campaign, I promised that before I leave office, I will award and complete the first phase of Trans-Kalabari Road. We thank God that the project has been completed and we are not owing the contractor, we have finished paying them long before now.
“I also promised that we will construct road from Minama to Obonoma, I have directed the Commissioner for Works to make necessary arrangements so that we can award the project before we leave office,” the Governor said.
In his speech before commissioning the project, the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde commended Governor Wike for not abandoning governance in his second term in office.
“Let me commend my brother the Governor of Rivers State, you know most second term governors had long abandoned governance but my brother Governor Wike is still commissioning key projects in Rivers State.
“As we were coming to this place, I asked him when are you going to stop working being an outgoing governor, he told me that he will only stop working for the betterment of Rivers State on the 28th of May 2023 at midnight.
“I had told the people of Oyo State that if they vote for me for second term, I will do the same thing Governor Wike is doing in Rivers State because I am close to him,” he added.
28 March 2023
