Rivers State government announces that it will scrap Amaechi's monorail project

RIVERS State government has indicated that it will abandon the multi-billion naira monorail project embarked upon by the immediate-past administration as it does not appear to be a major priority for now.

 

Former governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is now transport minister, had initiated the monorail project in Port Harcourt to solve the city's mass transit problems. After an acrimonious election battle last March, Governor Amaechi was succeeded by incumbent governor Chief Nyesom Wike and ever since, the two have been at loggerheads.

 

Governor Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Amaechi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have recently been involved in a war of words during supplementary parliamentary polls in Rivers State. Their relationship has been bitterly soured after Governor Wike set up a panel of enquiry to investigate his predecessor upon assuming office.

 

Over the weekend, Governor Wike deepened the chasm between them further when he said the people of the state did not want the continuation of the project. According to Governor Wike, in spite of his administration’s commitment to the completion of the projects abandoned by the Rotimi Amaechi administration, the monorail would not be one of such projects.

 

Governor Wike said: “Rivers people have told me not to touch the monorail project left behind by the other government. I won’t make a promise that I will not fulfil and I don’t politicise development as my interest is to deliver the best for Rivers people.

 

“In spite of distractions, we have succeeded in completing many projects abandoned by the previous government. We also have cleared the backlog of unpaid salaries and pensions left by the previous government."

 

He added that his administration had taken measures to improve the security of the state through funding of intervention programme and the provision of logistics for agencies. He lamented the fact that the state had been affected by the regular transfer of security chiefs from the state, blaming former Governor Amaechi for the development.

 

Reacting to the position of Governor Wike, Tolofari George, the former transport commissioner said: “The monorail is a laudable project that should be continued because it is a catalyst to jump-start our local economy and place Rivers State at the forefront of transport infrastructural development. The vision is to take the monorail up to the airport in future traversing the city.

 

"A lot of River’s taxpayers’ monies have been sunk into that project that it should not be allowed to die. However, Wike has chosen to play politics with that project and it is most unfortunate.”