…Promises Ogbakiri Road Completion by December
By Amieyeofori Ibim, Port Harcourt
After months of lull following end of emergency rule, the familiar rumble of heavy-duty machines have started returning to construction sites across Rivers State, just as governor Siminalayi Fubara’s renewed round of project inspections reignited activity and optimism, contractors have equally mobilized back to work to attend to key infrastructure projects once temporarily stalled.
On Tuesday, the governor led his inspection team to two major road projects , including the 19.7-kilometre Buguma–Tema–Degema–Abonema Road, cutting across three local government areas in the Kalabari Kingdom, and the 9.7-kilometre Ogbakiri Road in Emohua Local Government Area.
At Ogbakiri site, governor Fubara was in high spirits as he walked through the dusty stretch, exchanging greetings with workers and community leaders. The air was thick with a sense of relief — the sight of Julius Berger equipment back in motion was proof that work had truly resumed.
“This project is very important to us,” the governor told journalists. “It connects the Ogbakiri people directly to the East–West Road, easing their movement and boosting local commerce. We started it before the state of emergency, and we are back here to see it through.”
He commended the people of Ogbakiri for their patience and peaceful cooperation throughout the project, describing them as “one of the most friendly and understanding communities” his administration has worked with.
“They know this project is about them,” he said with a smile. “Government exists for the people, and I’m here to assure the good people of Emohua Local Government Area — and Ogbakiri in particular — that with the contractor back on site, God willing, this road will be completed before the end of 2025.”
Fubara was accompanied on the inspection by top officials of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Hon. Chidi Lloyd. Earlier in the day, the governor had visited the Buguma–Tema–Degema–Abonema Road to assess progress and reaffirm his administration’s commitment to the Kalabari region’s infrastructural renewal.
For residents along the project corridors, the governor’s visit was more than a routine inspection , but more of a sign of restored hope. With bulldozers roaring again and workers back on site, many believe that the long wait for smoother roads and easier connectivity may have finally become feasible than before.
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