The 39km Bonny-Bodo Road, the first land access into Bonny Island, being built at the cost of N280 billion, coupled with the newly signed South-South Development Commission (SSDC) are major growth drivers for the oil region, Sobomabo Jackrich, a major stakeholder and national leader of Rivers Grassroots Movement (RGM), has said.
The road, whose contract the Tinubu administration recently agreed to pay additional N20.5 billion as a revised contract sum, raising the total cost to N280 billion, is being constructed by German construction giant Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. The project, a public-private partnership with NLNG aimed at linking Bonny Island to the Rivers State mainland, was initially approved at N120 billion in 2014 and later revised to N199.9 billion in 2021 before the current upward review.
The federal ministry of works had set several unmet
target dates for completion by late 2024 to early 2025.
The construction company had asked for a review, without which it could not guarantee completion.
Jackrich, a former agitator during the heydays of militancy in the Niger Delta, before their laying down of arms to accept the government’s amnesty, said in Port Harcourt during a rally by the RGM, that it was for issues like the Bonny-Bodo Road, SSDC, electricity, water and healthcare that they went into the creeks to agitate for a fair deal for the oil producing communities.
Under President Tinubu’s leadership, long-abandoned infrastructure in the South-South are becoming reality. The Bonny-Bodo Road, a critical artery that previous administrations could not complete despite Bonny’s strategic role in Nigeria’s economy, has now been delivered and opened for public use. The President’s swift approval of phase two, which will link the road directly to the East-West Road, promises full economic integration for coastal communities and accelerated development, the ex-warlord said.
According to him, they are a non-partisan group, but are deeply rooted in every community in Rivers State, also called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, having made peace with the minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nyesom Wike, the coast is clear for him (Fubara) to contest for a second term, praising his “Rivers People First” philosophy that has brought peace, equity, and sustainable development.
“Our gathering is not just historic; it is a loud statement that Rivers people are united in one voice and one purpose to advance the good governance,” Jackrich declared.
According to Jackrich, the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, one of the largest and most expensive infrastructure initiatives in the nation’s history, is equally transformative for the harried oil communities of the Niger Delta.
He said the road, which spans approximately 750 kilometres across South-South states, if realised, is set to create a lucrative economic corridor that will generate massive benefits for Rivers State and the entire oil region through enhanced trade, tourism, and connectivity.
The RGM also lauded the retention of Tantita Security Services for pipeline surveillance, which it said has proven a masterstroke, reversing the drastic drop in crude production caused by vandalism; and has restored the nation’s oil production output to approximately 1.8 million barrels per day. This recovery has safeguarded national revenue, revived aquatic life, and created over 10,000 direct jobs for Niger Delta youths through inclusive stakeholder engagement.
