Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to remove shanties erected along the road of the popular Marine Base Waterfront in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The governor lamented the sorry state of the entire waterfront saying he would invite the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the House of Assemblymember representing Port Harcourt constituency 2, Tonye S. Adoki and Port Harcourt Council Chairman for a meeting to deliberate on how to sanitise the area.
The governor, who spoke on Wednesday during the flag-off of the reconstruction of Rivers State Government House Jetty at Marine Base Waterfront, said nobody would be allowed to use ethnicity to set the state backward.
Wike noted with dismay the destruction of the rich tourism opportunities, offered by the beautiful marine features around the area, by the residents of shanties.
He said: “What has set Rivers State back is ethnicity. What has made us not to progress so far is that we blindfold ourselves not to know the truth.
“If we have a place like this, do you know how many people will like to come to Rivers State? Today, we are talking about tourism, and how can you say that here should be a tourism centre when you have all these shanties around.
“Let me say it and I don’t care what anybody will say, nobody will set Rivers State backward.”
The governor said the residents encroached on the land where the Government House facility is located.
He said the security personnel gave the trespassers a good fight before evicting them to clear the premises for the ceremony.
Wike insisted that the shanties littering the stretch of the Marine Base road would not be allowed anymore.
He said: “Let us tell ourselves the truth. If I knew how this place is, I will not have agreed for this project to go on. Look at the shanties and you’re telling me that the Government House Jetty is where you’ll have Governor’s Lodge.
“Who will come to stay here, to do what? How long can we continue to do this? Which meaningful person will drive on this road in the night without criminals blocking you?”
Performing the flag-off, the Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Desmond Akawor, said the Government House Jetty would add to other completed projects within Government House.
He said: “You have built a state-of-the-art clinic. You have built a new administrative block. Behind the Government House, you’ve development the fauna and flora. These can also be appreciated when you hear the whistles and chirps of the birds.
“Today, we are at the Government House Marine Jetty, an addition you’ve made to all the features in Government House. This is one jetty that defines the amphibious nature of our state.”
Providing the description of the project, the Special Adviser on Special Projects to the Governor, George-Kelly D. Alabo, said the jetty could be likened to a wharf.
He said the project would have a landing jetty, a 170metre reinforced concrete shoreline protection.
Alabo explained that the choice of reinforced concrete was to prevent corrosion from oxidation associated with using steel pile.
He said: “There will be three major buildings. One, will be a 2-storey building that will house 20 security personnel, all in suite; the Navy especially.
“We are also going to have another two-storey building which will serve as a dockyard. In it, we are going to have a restaurant, conveniences, small conference hall, a kitchen and a lounge.
“Then, we are also going to have the Governor’s lounge. That is going to be for the governor’s convenience anytime he comes to use this wharf.
“Finally, we are going to have two floating rams to make landing very easy. One will be exclusively for the governor, one for the public. We have about 11000 square meter of land, which is approximate 23 plots of land. We will have reinforced concrete pavement to serve as the car park.”
