THE RETURN OF THE GARDEN CITY

BY: NKPATA IBINABO

For over three decades, the once renouned Garden City of Port Harcourt has lost its aura, but as the saying goes, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. This light which can be viewed in the present era as a rapid infrastructural development across the city is gradually bring back that Garden city feel to residents and indigenes of the state.

The contribution of infrastructure to an economy cannot be over-stressed; this is because, it makes productivity more of a breeze through promotion of investment, movement of products, people and services, and facilitation of information and communication, all these, being salient factors for economic diversification. This massive infrastructural development abeit on one particular side (Geographical location) of the state is bring back the glory days of a place once dubbed the treasure base of the nation.

Many will definitely point the actualization of such massive infrastructural development to the present administration in the state which is led by Mr Project himself His excellency Chief Barr. Wike as more project has been completed in his administration all thanks to his brilliant dedication towards ensuring that Rivers people get the best facility to allow them do their business in a safe and secure manner.

Projects like the ongoing flyover construction, the Port Harcourt pleasure park and many too numerous to mention had been a benchmark of what to expect from a man that had taken the infrastructural sector by the horn. Individuals who visited the state 5years ago will definitely be impressed with the level of infrastructural progress that has been made as the State looks to restore it’s glory days of being the treasure base of the nation.

Meanwhile despite this recent success, more work still needs  to be done. So far these projects has been targeted at one particular area (Road sector) with the other area like electricity, water, healthcare still need serious attention for the state to fully reached its potential when it comes to infrastructural development.

Such infrastructural development should aim at impacting the lives of Rivers residence because the people are the state and the state is the people. And with a man in Mr Project, the dream should be accomplished halfway before we have another person stepping in to fill his shoes.

The progress so far has been commendable, however to have a good and effective infrastructural development, all the sectors that has to do with infrastructural development needs to be up to speed with the latest development as it will make for a better Garden City we all cherished so much many years ago.