Makinde says he is following the footsteps of Wike

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said he is following the footsteps of his friend and Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike.

Makinde, who spoke on Tuesday, while commissioning the Phase One of the Trans-Kalabari road constructed by Wike’s administration in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, said his host had performed excellently in spreading developmental projects across communities.

The Oyo State governor said he was toeing the same path as Wike to sustain the pace of delivering democratic dividends to his people who reelected him for a second tenure.

Speaking earlier, the Rivers State governor Wike dismissed sceptics who had assumed he would not complete the Trans-Kalabari road before leaving office.  He noted that despite the abduction of some construction workers in charge of the road for five months, he sustained the progress of work on the project and ensured its completion.

He hailed the people of Kalabari for supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and giving the winning votes in the three local government areas to Sir Siminalayi Fubara to become the governor-elect.

Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr. George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo, said the 13-kilometre Trans-Kalabari road links six Kalabari communities to the mainland.

The commissioner said the contract for the road was awarded on March 23, 2021 and completed on schedule.

He said: “Several governments in the past have made futile attempts to commence this project, but they were all efforts in futilities.

“You came, you awarded and in no time we are here for the inauguration of the project. Your Excellency, you have put your name in the sands of time as far as the Kalabari ethnic nationality is concerned.”

“Before now, out of the 33 towns and villages of the Kalabari ethnic nationality, only 12 were linked up to the mainland. Your Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has linked up extra six to the mainland.”

In a goodwill message, Chairman of Rivers State Elders’ Forum, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, said 18 months after he was privileged to witness the kick-off of the Trans-Kalabari road, it was completed and inaugurated.

He said the development showed that Wike was not like many other politicians who would promise what they would not deliver.

Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Michael Williams, who was accompanied by his Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru counterparts, Onengiye George and Rowland Sekibo, expressed the appreciation of Kalabari people to Wike for delivering the phase one of the road.