Shettima Opens 33.5km Rivers Road, Says Tinubu Taking Development Beyond Cities

 

By Abel Chigozie 

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is deliberately expanding infrastructure and economic opportunities beyond major urban centres to reduce congestion, create jobs and promote balanced development across Nigeria.

Shettima stated this on Thursday while inaugurating the 33.5-kilometre Elele–Umudioga–Egbeda–Ubimini–Akpabu–Ikiri–Omoku Dual Carriageway in Rivers State on behalf of President Tinubu.

The road traverses Ikwerre, Emohua and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas and provides a critical link to communities along an important agricultural, commercial and oil and gas corridor leading to Omoku, popularly known as Rivers State’s “Gas City.”

According to the Vice President, the project reflects the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its commitment to expanding security, welfare and economic opportunities across communities.

“A nation becomes congested when opportunity is congested. People move because roads, markets, jobs and services have not moved far enough towards them,” Shettima said.

He described roads as “among the most democratic instruments of development,” noting that effective road infrastructure connects farmers to markets, workers to employment, students to schools and patients to healthcare.

“When a road works, society moves,” he added.

Shettima said the completed project would accelerate the movement of agricultural produce, reduce post-harvest losses, lower logistics costs and stimulate economic activities in communities along the corridor.

“Public infrastructure must be judged by the lives it improves. A road earns its value when a farmer earns more, a child reaches school earlier, and isolation no longer punishes enterprise,” he said.

The Vice President commended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for completing the project, describing it as consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s support for state-led investments that improve security, welfare and economic opportunities.

He also emphasised the importance of continuity in governance, stressing that successive administrations must build on existing foundations for the benefit of citizens.

“One administration lays a foundation, another strengthens it, and the people remain the final beneficiaries,” Shettima stated.

He urged residents and communities along the corridor to protect the road infrastructure from vandalism, reckless use and other activities capable of reducing its lifespan.

Earlier, Governor Fubara said the 33.5-kilometre road, which includes a river-crossing bridge, would significantly improve security and ease the longstanding difficulties faced by residents of the three benefiting local government areas.

The governor explained that the road had previously been associated with kidnapping, oil bunkering and other criminal activities, but expressed confidence that its completion would transform the security situation in the area.

Fubara said the installation of streetlights along the entire corridor would further strengthen security, particularly at night, while assuring that security agencies would intensify surveillance.

“In this project, we have lights from the beginning to the end. So, even in the night, insecurity is totally eliminated,” he said.

The governor thanked President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for their support, describing the commissioning as evidence that promises made to the people of Rivers State were being fulfilled.

“I am a bit emotional today because for a very long time, I felt maybe we were not part of this country, but today I feel very happy that our country is also standing by us,” Fubara said.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Prof. Temple Nwofor, said the project represented another major step in the state government’s drive to provide durable infrastructure capable of improving connectivity, mobility and economic activities.

He noted that the road would open up communities, enhance transportation and create new opportunities across the three local government areas.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Dr Chidi Lloyd, described the project as more than a road, saying it represented a pathway to reconciliation, prosperity and stronger connections among communities.

He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory for their interventions and support for the people of Rivers State.

The commissioning of the dual carriageway marks a significant addition to Rivers State’s road infrastructure, with the project expected to improve transportation, strengthen security and stimulate economic activities across the communities it connects.