By Solomon Nmam Okocha
SIR: Before the advent of Governor Nyesom Wike, aside from Trunk B roads that ran through their areas, most communities in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor local government areas of Rivers State were groaning under the maniacal burden of inaccessibility.
For instance, it was a herculean task to navigate through the Rumuokwuta junction on an average day. In fact, it was easier to move from Rumuola (the next town after Rumuokwuta) to Mile One Park, than it was to go from Rumuigbo (some yards away) to Rumuokwuta.
Meanwhile, the Rumuokwuta junction is one of the link points for the Mgbouba/NTA Road that feeds directly from roads that connect directly to the East West Road. It also connects Diobu and other communities via the Ikwerre Road.
So why was it left to linger in narrowness all these years? Why was it not given the prominence that it deserves, even with its enormous importance to the state’s economy? Mystery!
Yes, before Wike, governance in the state was treated like a mysterious phenomenon. Development was mostly on a random basis with no direct impact on the contemporary realities of the people.
The detachment was palpable, and those who lived around the Rumuokwuta axis hardly felt the presence of government save the unreasonable traffic conditions that greeted them every morning.
But Wike has saved the day! Today, the movement through Rumuokwuta junction is now within the bounds of reason. The days of hour-long congestion are long gone for good!
The Rumueprikom-born politician has demystified governance to the point of localisation. Through him, the masses are beginning to feel the presence of government like never before — see the people, see the government!
And trust Wike, the political pacesetter, he ensured that the Rumuokwuta Flyover, which is almost a stone’s throw from his hometown, was commissioned by the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a first of its kind, thereby removing any remaining layer of mysteriousness around the corridors of governance in the state.