Rivers Govt, Firm Sign N195bn Ring Road Project

IndependentJuly 12, 2023Read original

Rivers State governor, Siminialayi Fubara’s administration has signed a contract with Julius Berger (JB) for a N195.3Bn Port Harcourt Ring Road project to decongest capital city which transverses six Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Prof Zaccheus Adangor, Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Works, Dr. George Kelly Alabo and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Ebere Emenike, signed on behalf of the government as Managing Director of JB, Dr. Lars Richter, Assistant Regional Manager, Rimon Marisho, signed for the German construction giant.

Governor Fubara who holds the project dear as his legacy project said work to commence immediately, and should be completed within 36 months with the contractor enjoying over N150B mobilisation, boasting his government, with this project, would achieve what his predecessors with enormous resources could not deliver.

“This is something previous governments had conceived. Some had so much money, some saved hundreds of billions of naira in bank accounts but couldn’t venture into it. Today, it’s not that we even have the money, but we are bearing it.

“For JB, we are engaging you because you have a history in this state. Landmark developments have not been achieved in this state without you. We have cases of flyovers and wonderful medical centers, you are instrumental to them and people have acknowledged your standards.

“Total value of the contract is N195.3B and we are paying (mobilising) you 77 percent which is over N150B immediately after this event. Once will confirm 55% of the initial fund release, we will commence payment of the balance.

Fubara sought cooperation with the government and contractors, from communities the road project will pass through, daring that, “Any traditional ruler, chiefs, with youths who try to disrupt or sabotage the project will immediately be suspended and prosecuted.

“This project is important to us, so anybody who is going to be a Jonah, we are not going to throw you out of the ship, but we will kill you, because if we merely throw you out of the ship you might still survive.”

Managing Director of JB, Dr Richter thanked the Governor for the trust reposed on the company and assured of delivering the project on schedule with high quality as exhibited in the previous projects entrusted to them by the previous administration.