President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for completing the 33.5km Elele-Egbeda-Omoku dual carriageway.
Tinubu said the project would boost economic activities and development along the corridor.
The President, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, made this known during the inauguration of the road which connects three council areas in the state yesterday.
Shettima said: ‘In that spirit, I bring greetings of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the government and the good people of Rivers State. Mr President shares your satisfaction with the completion of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku dual carriageway and the possibilities it opens along this corridor.
‘On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I commend His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, for committing public resources to this project and bringing it to completion.’
He said that the project aligns with the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its commitment to improving the security, welfare and economic opportunities available to Nigerians.
The Vice-President said the newly completed road would enable farmers to move their produce faster, give traders access to larger markets, reduce logistics costs for businesses and save travellers valuable time.
He said that the transformation of the road into a modern dual carriageway demonstrated the importance of continuity in governance.
The Vice-President described the roads as ‘the most democratic instruments of development,’ noting that their impact cuts across virtually every sector of society.
Shettima said: ‘They serve the farmer carrying produce to the market; the trader seeking customers; the worker travelling to work; the student going to school; and the patient seeking medical care. When the road works, society works.
‘This achievement reminds us that governance is a continuum. One administration lays the foundation and another strengthens it, and the people remain the final beneficiaries.’
He congratulated the communities along the corridor and urged residents to protect the road from vandalism, reckless use and other activities that could shorten its lifespan.
In his remarks, Fubara described the dual carriageway as a major infrastructure intervention that would improve security, stimulate economic activities and reconnect communities across three local government areas of the state.
The governor said the road would transform a corridor previously associated with insecurity.
According to him, the road, which includes a river-crossing bridge and street lighting along its entire length, would make movement easier while creating an environment where security agencies could operate more effectively.
‘It is not just a project; it is a statement that we have made to show our people in the three local government areas, the benefiting communities close to this project, that we care for you and your concerns are our concern,’ Fubara said.
The governor said the completion of the project was evidence of his administration’s commitment to delivering projects that directly impacted the lives of Rivers people, despite prevailing challenges.
Fubara described the completion of the project as the fulfilment of a promise to the people, saying: ‘A promise made is a promise fulfilled.’