Rivers
RSG Approves N225bn For Trans-Kalabari Road Project
The Rivers State Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved N225 billion for the construction of the Trans-Kalabari Road project.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Joseph Johnson, disclosed this while briefing newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting.
The meeting was presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the state Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said the project would be funded with savings from the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.
“We shall not borrow to fund the project. We are bent on generating money to fund our projects”, he said.
Johnson stated that the contractor had been mobilised with 30 per cent of the contract, worth to commence implementation.
The commissioner further said the project would be completed within a period of 32 months.
“This is the main Trans-Kalabari Road, the one that happened in the past was building of bridges.
“We are now doing a Trans-Kalabari Road that will run from NSS Pathfinder, immediately after Mgbuodohia community and extend to about 2km to the Aker Base Road in Rumuolumeni”, he said.
He also said the road would pass through the swamps behind the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, moving southwards towards the first bridge crossing.
“It will continue through a series of bridges, connecting many communities up to Tombia Town.
“The road will traverse very difficult terrains of swamp across rivers and creeks upon which series of bridges, decking and piling works will be done”, he said.
The Commissioner further said the state recently recorded some giant strides in the sporting sector.
Also briefing, the Acting Director-General, Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Ine Briggs, explained that the bureau diligently managed the proceedings leading to the award of the Trans-Kalabari road contract.
Briggs said the submissions of the state Ministry of Works were reviewed and all the supporting documents examined by the Ministry.
“Having fulfilled all the necessary procurement procedures and guidelines as prescribed by the Rivers State Public Procurement Law 2008 as amended, the Bureau is satisfied that all the elements leading to this award is sufficient to issue a certificate of no objection.
“Therefore, in consideration of all the relevant documents submitted by the Ministry of Works pursuant to the construction of Trans-Kalabari Road and bridges, the Bureau has issued the certificate of no objection, and that the contract be awarded to Lubrick Construction Company Limited”, Briggs said.
The Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) has given its breakdown of the Rivers’ 2025 budget.
The PHCCIMA President, Dr. Chinyere Nwaoga, gave the breakdown in a statement on Tuesday, saying the budget will unlock trapped N500 billion tax revenue from trapped or recovered assets.
She recalled that PHCCIMA had on December 31, 2024 lauded the appropriation bill of 2025 as presented by the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and promised to analyse the budget.
“We promised to analyse the budget and share our position after extensive research and analysis.
“We set up a think-tank committee to review the monetary policy with the private sector practitioners and we have come up with a position”, she said.
Nwaoga noted that the 2025 total budget approximates N1.2 trillion to be N388 billion higher than the 2024 figure of N800 billion.
However, she noted that when adjusted for inflation, “the Net Present Value of the current budget is approximately N1.1 trillion”.
She explained that the naira’s depreciation by 90 per cent year-on-year from January 2024 has reduced the budget’s net value to about N700 billion.
According to her, this further illustrates how the fiscal policies at the centre can impact even the best run states.
She commended the Rivers government’s plan to spend N678 billion on capital expenditure, which is roughly 30 per cent more than the operating expenditure.
“The plan to allocate N31 billion to Agric and support programmes for youths posits a strategy for genuine empowerment”, she stated.
The PHCCIMA President also advised the government to create a credible youth and women database for articulated disbursements and monitoring.
She said: “There may be need to update or recreate a strategic state wide enumeration targeted at Rivers State population”.
Nwaoga also suggested that the government should consider allotting a percentage of accrued funds to an investor guarantee programme to attract investment funds aimed at commerce.
She noted that “the policy to explore counterparty funding with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) to support education is smart”.
The PHCCIMA boss commended the government’s plan to source and save funds for the budget through various means, including FAAC, IGR, statutory allocation, mineral funds, VAT, refunds, and others.
According to her, the budget demonstrates financial prudence and less emphasis on bank borrowing.
She suggested that the government should re-enact the Rivers State Statutory Savings Account and ensure that assets do not deplete in value.
Nwaoga recommended that “we estimate an additional N100 billion, and the expansion of the under-declared and undeclared revenue sources with corporates”.
She stressed the need for the government to emphasise attracting new investments and unlocking value from existing assets.
“Rivers State Government should emphasise attracting new investments and unlocking value from existing assets”, she said.
She, however, urged that the government should continue to pursue clearing the backlog of pension liabilities and consider implementing a revised salary structure to motivate the workforce.
The Rivers State Government is seeking the collaboration of relevant stakeholders to improve the conditions of women and children.
Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roseline Apawari Uranta, disclosed this during a stakeholders engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as part of activities to mark the 50th birthday anniversary of Governor Siminalaye Fubara organised by the Ministry in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Uranta also stressed the need for a network of agencies and organisations working to improve the conditions of women and children across the state.
The Commissioner said the present administration under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara has initiated policies towards improving the conditions of women and children in the State.
According to her, the present administration is ensuring that women and children have acess to quality health care and education.
She said the stakeholders’ engagement was to seek their views and opinions towards fashioning out policies and programmes that will further improve the conditions of women and children in the State.
Also speaking, the founder of Truvine Women International Ministries, Pastor (Mrs.) Ene Secondus, commended the Ministry for its commitment towards improving the conditions of women and children in the State.
Mrs. Secondus also commended the Ministry for the meeting, adding that it would provide opportunity for the various organisations to review their activities for the outgone year and also plan ahead .
She said her organisation,Truevine Women Ministry International, had visited several charity homes across the country and Internally Displaced Persons ( IDP) camps to assist them in various ways, calling on other groups to do same.
Also speaking, the Royal Father of the day, King Emmanuel Owurong, called on the Ministry to embark on sensitisation campaigns across schools in the State with a view to educating the girl child on the importance of education.
He said this would check the rampant cases of teenage pregnancies across rural communities in the State.
Earlier, the Director, Women Affairs, Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Camelita Agborubere, said the Ministry is now more concerned with gender development and equality in the society.
Agborubere said the mandate of the Ministry is to bring about equality and an inclusive society where everyone, irrespective of gender, will be equal.
The Director, however, said empowerment remains the only way out for women emancipation.
The meeting was attended by various non-governmental organisations across the state.
John Bibor
The Rivers State Government says the Port Harcourt Annual Holy Ghost Rally organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has been a source of blessings to the State.
The Stae Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, stated this during the 2025 edition of the Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt last Sunday.
Speaking through his Deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma Odu, Governor Fubara said the RCCG has been of global impartation to all those who have faith in God Almighty, stressing that he believes the good Lord would touch everybody in their different areas of need.
“I believe that Rivers State will experience an unprecedented peace after this gathering and we shall move from victory to higher victory and also move from glory to higher glory to the manifestation of God Almighty”, he said.
In his sermon, titled: “Divine Manifestation”, drawn from Jeremiah 32:27, the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, said “Divine Manifestation refers to God showing who He is, by action”, stressing that most times God introduces Himself by His actions.
According to the cleric, the first time God introduced Himself to man was in Genesis 17:1, describing Himself as Jehovah Elshaddi, which means “the God who is more than sufficient”.
He urged the Christian faithful to call on God, especially in difficult times to receive solutions.
Earlier, the Intercontinental Youth Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Belemina Obunge, expressed gratitude to the Rivers State Government for their support over the years, while praying for God’s guidance and blessings over the State.