The Director, Administration of leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, Dr. Abdulaziz Isa Kaita has identified peace in operational communities as a sine qua non for easy completion of construction projects.

He spoke amidst cheers from residents of the community at Thursday’s commissioning of the historic Ogbakiri Roundabout – Water Front road project on the heel of a similar declaration by the company’s Managing Director, Dr. Peer Lubasch at the earlier inauguration of the equally iconic Ahoada-Omoku road.

According to Kaita at Wednesday’s event, the road project was completed three months before the deadline stated in the contract papers.

“This project was awarded to us on the 6th of September 2024 with a completion period of 18 months, which was achieved three months earlier, and with good quality, he said, adding, it will be worthy of note that our speedy completion of this project was also attributeable to the maximum cooperation we enjoyed from this peaceful community irrespective of inconveniences suffered during this construction period”.

He recalled that the Governor Siminalayi Fubara administration was very supportive while the project lasted saying that, even when it was difficult for us to continue with our works owing to global inflation, the Government intervened which was a huge support that enabled us complete the project, and we thank you for this.

The Director of Administration continued: “Your Excellency, we sincerely thank you for this opportunity given to us to showcase our expertise, while we assure you of our timely completion of all on-going projects in the State”.

In his own speech, the Governor recalled the circumstances that led to the award of the contract, saying that it all happend last year, adding, “I can’t forget the circumstance we were facing at that time. We were commissioning the East-West Road, Emohua to Tema Junction, and that corridor. The Ogbakiri is part of an annex to it, to Tema, Abalama, to Abonemma, and the other stretch of it that leads to Buguma. And we said, it won‘t be very nice that we commission this other stretch, and we leave these other ones.

“And at that time, and situation that we were in, we made a promise, not just to the people of the Kalabari, but also to my dear people of Emohua and Ogbakiri in particular, that we will visit those two aspects of the road. And I am happy today that we are here to commission the one that connects to the Ogbakiri people. I use the word very significant because when we made the first payment for this project, it was when we had the first court judgement barring us from accessing our accounts or from the federal government transmitting our funds”, he further said.

Commenting on a request by the community for a bridge to connect them to mainland Port Harcourt, Fubara said, “I also have taken note of the most beautiful part of your request, connecting a bridge from the other side to this side to ease transportation inconvenience, to better the commercial life of the people and to also bring security faster to our people. I will go back, will study the situation, look at the cost implication, and I assure you, we will get back to you as soon as possible”.

He also called on the people of the area to always live in peace among themselves and with their neighbours, saying, please, “we need peace, not just in Ogbakiri, not just in Emohua. We need peace in our dear states so that development can be extended to all parts of Rivers State. People should learn to protect what is around them. You have a university here. We need to protect everything that is around us. That is the only way I can come happily. That is the way, when you call me, I can dance and come here joyfully”.

At the commissioning of the Ahoada – Omoku road extension and dualisation, the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC said, this project was awarded to Julius Berger in 2023 with a completion period of 18 months, which was achieved in best qualities.

Specifically, Lubasch said, we have enjoyed the very good support from this administration since they came into the office, even when faced with challenges of our augmentation on our Ring Road Project, which was a result of global inflation. It was approved and we were brought back to site.

He added that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc had at various times delivered ahead of deadlines, a lot of projects for the people and Government of Rivers State, even as he assured Fubara that, we will complete all our ongoing projects especially the Ring Road which is a legacy project.

The Emohua–Ogbakiri–Egbelu road project represents one of the most significant infrastructure undertakings in Rivers State in recent years. The road, spanning approximately 9.7 kilometers, was conceived to improve connectivity between Emohua and the riverine communities of Ogbakiri and Egbelu, linking them to the East–West Road corridor and enhancing socio-economic activities in the region.

The contract for the construction of the road was officially awarded in November 2024 by the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The project was entrusted to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, a company renowned for its expertise in delivering high-quality road infrastructure across Nigeria.

R-L: Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Mrs. Ngozi Nma Odu, Rivers State Governor,
Siminalayi Fubara, Project Coordinator, Region South-East/South-South,
Chief Sam Ngbor, and behind is Director, Administration, Julius Berger, Dr. Abdulaziz
Isa Kaita at the commissioning of the Ogbakiri Road, Emohua LGA, River State.