The Kalabari Media Forum (KMF) has dismissed reports suggesting that work on the Trans-Kalabari Road has been abandoned due to the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, describing such claims as false and misleading.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the project site on Friday, Chairman of the Forum, Alabo Dagogo Clinton, said construction activities were progressing steadily and expressed surprise that some individuals were attempting to link the project to the state’s political challenges.
According to him, concerns raised by reports of an alleged abandonment of the project prompted the forum to undertake a firsthand assessment of the situation during its second quarterly meeting.
“No true son or daughter of Kalabari would be comfortable hearing that the Trans-Kalabari Road has been abandoned. The reports generated understandable concern, which led us to visit the site to ascertain the facts,” Clinton said.
He explained that members of the forum commenced their inspection from the Rumuolumeni axis, travelled by boat through the four bridges along the route, and arrived at the Oguruama Community landing point, where they observed ongoing construction work.
Clinton said the visit confirmed that work was continuing at the site and urged members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information about the project.
He commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for sustaining the project, noting that the road represents a major infrastructural intervention that previous administrations had been unable to deliver.
“Rather than peddling rumours, the Kalabari people should appreciate Governor Fubara for undertaking a project that many before him could not execute. His commitment to the Trans-Kalabari Road is a strong reason for continued support,” he said.
The KMF chairman also praised the construction company handling the project for what he described as the speed and quality of work being carried out, stressing that the road would have significant economic and social benefits for Kalabari communities.
He called on the Rivers State Government to ensure that the project is completed and commissioned as promised, while also advocating for its extension to Bukuma and Tombia communities in line with the original vision of the road.
Clinton expressed confidence that Governor Fubara would be remembered in the history of Kalabari land for delivering the long-awaited Trans-Kalabari Road and breaking what he described as a longstanding infrastructural barrier in the area.
