Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has issued a stern warning to Raffoul Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling the Woji–Aleto–Alesa road project. The governor gave the company a one-month ultimatum to complete the 6.5km road or risk having the contract terminated.
The project, which includes a 200-metre bridge, is meant to connect Woji in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area to the Port Harcourt Refinery in Eleme LGA. It is also expected to serve as an alternative route to the busy East–West Road, which is currently under reconstruction by the Federal Government.
Governor Fubara gave the warning on Friday during an inspection visit to the site. He expressed strong dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work, accusing the contractor of underperformance despite multiple support measures taken by his administration.
“I feel highly disappointed with the level of performance of this contractor, Raffoul,” Fubara said. “This project was awarded in June 2020 by my predecessor. When I came in, I gave variations twice to enable them achieve a good proportion of this job. To my greatest surprise, whenever you sit with them, you don’t come out with anything substantial.”
Fubara revealed that the contract was cancelled by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who served as the administrator during the state of emergency declared in Rivers State earlier. However, his administration later reinstated the contract, hoping the contractor would meet expectations.
Now, the governor has made it clear that the patience of the state government has run out.
“If they cannot finish the job in the next one month, I will cancel the contract,” he warned.
In addition to the delay, Governor Fubara raised alarm over illegal dredging activities taking place along the Woji River, close to the bridge under construction. He described the dredging as environmentally harmful and warned that strong measures would be taken if the activity continued.
“The indiscriminate dredging around this area is dangerous. It is affecting the bridge work and damaging the environment. We will not fold our arms while a few individuals destroy what belongs to the public,” he said.
The Woji–Aleto–Alesa road project is considered a key infrastructure initiative in Rivers State. Once completed, it will ease traffic congestion for commuters and facilitate easier access to the Port Harcourt Refinery.
