By Egufe Yafugborhi – Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Wike has said his preference for Julius Berger (JB) Construction Company in executing major projects for actualisation of his administration’s urban renewal concept in Rivers state goes beyond the recognition of the German firm as a global brand for quality projects.
Wike, at the flag-off, Saturday, of the Orochiri/Wurukwo flyover bridge in Port Harcourt, said he chose to stick with JB after a previous administration in which he served ended up spending more money that JB bided to execute the Obiri Ikwerre Road project initially awarded to a lower bidder.
The Rivers Governor said, “I know a road JB bided for and one other company bided for the same road. Berger bided. N14 Billion, and the other company I will not mention bided N6billion. We said let’s give it to the company that bided N6billion. We did not give JB.
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“That was not my administration, but I was in the administration then. At the end of the day, we spent over N20 Billion doing that work. So from the onset, if we had given it to JB, it would have been better for us and that road is what we call Obiri Ikwerre Road today.”
He appealed to motorists and commuters to bear the inconvenience to experience through the duration of the construction of the eighth flyover, two of which have been completed and inaugurated.
The governor further stated that his commitment to the delivery of eight flyover bridges in Port Harcourt alongside other critical infrastructures was in gratitude to Rivers people for resisting perceived attempt to use the Army and other security agencies to rig his government out of power in 2019.
