* Vows to sack, prosecute monarchs, youths who sabotage the project
Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government under Siminialayi Fubara’s administration in Rivers state has signed a contract with Julius Berger (JB) for a N195.3Billion Port Harcourt Ring Road project that would transverse six Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The State Attorney-General, Prof Zaccheus Adangor, 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.
The Governor insists that the project would signpost as his legacy project. He said work will start immediately and should be completed within 36 months with the contractor enjoying over N150B mobilisation.
He boasted, his government, with this project, would surpass his predecessors.
Fubara explained, “This is something previous governments had conceived. Some had so much money, some save hundreds of billions of naira in banks accounts but couldn’t venture into it. Today, it’s not that we even have the money, but we are bearing it.
“For Julius Berger , 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, 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 contractor, 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 who thanked the Governor on the trust reposed on the company assured of delivering the project on schedule with high quality as exhibited in the previous projects entrusted to them by previous administration.