Rivers Community Protest Halts Port Harcourt Ring Road Construction

Rumuekini Community in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State was brought to a standstill on Wednesday as youth and other residents took to the streets to protest against the Rivers State Government’s ring road project.

The protesters, led by the Youth President of the Community, Amadi Jaycey, alongside elderly women and youth, marched from the community civic centre to the construction and blocked the East-West Road, causing traffic congestion and disrupting vehicular movement.

They carried placards and banners, expressing their grievances against the government’s handling of the project.

The protesters ordered the workers on site to leave along with their equipment, an action which highlighted their frustration with the project.

At the heart of the protest is the community’s concern over the road design, which they claim is catastrophic in the Rumuekini section.

While addressing newsmen at the protest ground under the Rumuekine flyover, Jaycey said the community is opposed to the government’s decision to narrow the ring road from four lanes to one lane as it approaches the Rumuekini Community.

He said: “Instead of bringing it the same four lanes from UTC, they are doing it one lane. And we do not like it. Stopping the ring road in a sharp corner will cause a lot of accidents in our community.”

The community members also lamented that the construction has caused flooding, with the newly constructed drainages channeling water into their homes during rainfall.

“Giving us water from the East-West Road to inside our community without providing where the water will go. How can we live in Rumuekini?” Jaycey asked.

He claimed that the community had written several letters to the Ministry of Works, but their concerns have been ignored.

As part of their demands, they sought for government intervention in the community by dualizing the road from the junction to Aluu community and providing tarred internal roads. “We have more than 100 roads, but none is tarred,” Jaycey said.

The protesters have vowed to continue their protest until the government addresses their concerns. “If the government does not pay us a visit or no invitation, we will continue the protest. We will block the East-West Road, and there will be no vehicular movement,” Jaycey warned.

Meanwhile, Augustine Onyewusara, the Community Liaison Officer (CLO), who spoke to newsmen, said the community has not been neglected in the project, and their concerns have not been ignored.

Onyewusara stated that the community had written to the Ministry of Works, and the Commissioner of Works is aware of the matter.

He also mentioned that the government has concluded plans to start another project to rechannel the water to Choba River, but lamented that the dualization of the road, which started from UTC to Ogbogoro, Ozuoba down to Rumuosi/Rumuekini flyover and stopped after descending from the Rumuekini flyover, saying it will cause havoc to the people, especially at the sharp corner.

He said: “The government has never neglected the community. There are processes of doing things, if you watch the company, there is nothing the company can do without the government. As soon as they get approval they will do it. There is nothing Julius Berger can do as a company.

“The only thing I can not explain is about the dualisation which the community is also complaining about, dualisation of this road started from UTC to Ogbogoro, Ozuoba down to Rumuosi/Rumuekini flyover, after descending from the flyover about 200 metres they stopped the dualisation. And at the sharp corner, a lot of analysis has been made. If this road happens to stop at this point it will cause havoc to the people.”

When contacted, the Commissioner for Work Elloka Tasie-Amadi, confirmed that the state is aware of the complaint and everything is under control.

He said: “We are aware of all that and we are addressing all the issues.”