Kamalu Defends N200Bn Budget For Port Harcourt Ring Road Project

Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Isaac Kamalu, has defended the N200 billion supplementary budget the state government sent to the House of Assembly to approve for the Port Harcourt Ring Road project.
Kamalu, who appeared before the budget adhoc committee of the State House of Assembly (RSHA) on the supplementary appropriation Bill 2023 for the Port Harcourt Ring Road project during the public hearing on the bill, said there were many benefits that could be derived from the Ring Road project.
Kamalu said the project will create massive economic benefits in the areas of employment and investments. “Besides, it will open up more areas of our state,” he added.
Also contributing, the Commissioner for Works, Mr. George-Kelly Alabo, said that the plan for the Port Harcourt Ring Road had been on since 1999, arguing that it will expand opportunities in the state.
“The plan to have or construct the Port Harcourt Ring Road has been on since 1999. Therefore, we are happy that this project will finally see the light of day. This is a great expansion of our state.”
He said the Port Harcourt Ring Road which has both northern and southern loops also has six flyovers and one overhead bridge across a river.
He hinted that the purpose of the project was to decongest traffic within the Port Harcourt metropolis. “What we hope to achieve is to decongest deadlock from the Port Harcourt metropolis. By the time this Ring Road is ready, trucks will no longer pass through Aba Rd or Ikwerre Rd,” Alabo said.
The chairman of the adhoc committee, Dr. Aforji Igwe, had said the legislature decided to conduct the public hearing in line with constitutional requirements for such a law.
“This public hearing is a kind of interaction with you for the interest of Rivers State. If you believe that what we are doing is on course please let us know,” Igwe said.
He explained that the Port Harcourt Ring Road would deepen the infrastructural development of the state, noting that the purpose of the ring road project is to connect all parts of the state, especially the five or six local government areas that will be affected.
Meanwhile, a former member of Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Michael Chinda, has said that the aim of public hearing was to get information and input from members of the public. He described the public hearing on the Port Harcourt Ring Road as a demonstration of fiscal responsibility.
Chinda appealed to the state ministry of Work and the contractor to include bicycle lanes on the ring road. “I want to see where farmers from rural areas can ride bicycle and convey their farm produce from rural areas to Port Harcourt,” he said.
Also contributing, the State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, said that the Port Harcourt Ring Road when completed would have positive impact on the lives of the residents of the state.
A former National President of Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyor and Valuers, Chief Emma Okas Wike, said that the expansion of Port Harcourt would expand the business of estate surveyors and valuers.
“As an estate surveyors and valuers, I want to tell you that one of the things that will increase the job of estate surveyors and valuers is a project such as the Port Harcourt Ring Road.
Chief Wike went further: “One of the things that we will gain from the Port Harcourt Ring Road is the physical fitness of the residents of the state when the road will be put into use. Apart from the economic values of the Port Harcourt Ring Road there is also a sport value. As an estate surveyor and valuer, I want to say that we are in support of the Port Harcourt Ring Road.”
Our correspondent reports that the proposed Port Harcourt Ring Road project is about 50.15kms which is expected to be completed within three years.
The house of assembly on the same day passed the budget tagged, “Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2023.” The budget brought the total State Budget to N750 billion. Governor Siminalayi Fubara a few days later, signed the Port Harcourt Ring Road project of N195.3 billion with Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.