Jonathan Storms Rivers Thursday as President

Jonathan Storms Rivers Thursday as President

THE three-day official working visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Rivers State, the oil and gas capital of Nigeria, which was postponed last Thursday following the demise of former President, Umaru Yar’Adua, has been rescheduled for this coming Thursday.

Mr.Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, chief of staff of Government House, Port Harcourt, who announced this in the state capital, said the new date is Thursday, May 13th – 15th, 2010.

Wike said on Monday that the postponement of the visit was an indication of the cordial relationship existing between the presidency and the state government, noting that the visit would be the first official working visit of the President to any state.

He noted that the programme for the visit remains as earlier announced except that the reception to be accorded the visiting President would now be more elaborate as against the initial plan.

Wike, however, noted that the visit would afford President Jonathan the opportunity to inspect state and federal government projects undertaken by the Rivers State Government and also commission some completed ones.

Some of the projects, he said, are the new 100 megawatts of power at the Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, the Groundbreaking ceremony for the Monorail project and inspection of the Owerri-Airport dualisation project.

He therefore called on the people of the state to come out in their numbers to accord the August visitor the deserved welcome.

It would be recalled that Dr Goodluck Jonathan was billed to visit Rivers State from May 6th – 8th, but was cancelled due to the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

AkanimoReports correspondent in Port Harcourt however, reports that the visit will provide Mr. Jonathan another opportunity to harp on his administration's plan for sustainable electricity supply in the country.

The President on the second day of his visit to the state, will be commissioning a new 100 Megawatts Gas Turbine Plants at Trans-Amadi, the industrial hup of Port Harcourt. He will also commission the reconstructed Eastern-bye-Pass/Amadi-Ama/Oginigba Road project.

A programme of activities for the 3-day visit which was made available to NEXT on Wednesday indicates that Jonathan will swing into action immediately he arrives the Port Harcourt International Airport on Thursday.

Wike, who released the programme, said on arrival at the airport, Omagwa, the Acting President would inspect the dualisation work on the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road project, the new Tam David West Road (Airport Road), the Rumuokwuta-Ozuoba-Choba Road and lay the foundation stone for the new 60,000 capacity Adokiye Amiesimeka Stadium and Games Village, at the Greater Port Harcourt.

The Chief of Staff said that also on day one, the president would commission the new Model Primary School at Airforce Base in Port Harcourt, the Rumuepirikon Health Centre, as well as the newly dualized Rumuokwuta/Rumuola Road, performs the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Port Harcourt Monorail project.

He claimed that Jonathan will be accorded a Civic Reception at the Sharks Football Club Stadium, in Port Harcourt, while a State Banquet would round-up the visit for day one

After commissioning the power project on day two, he will also be commissioning the dualised Oginigba/Rumuobiakani Road, and the Rumuokrushe/Eleme Junction Flyover project, while the Acting President would inspect the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road project under construction, and also visit the new Model Secondary School project at Ebubu in Eleme Local Government Area, as well as the new Rainbow Town Housing Estate under construction in Port Harcourt.

On day three, the president would be expected to attend the 26th Convocation ceremony of the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, before departing for Abuja.

Wike described the visit of the president as a home coming, which would afford him the opportunity to access the developments that have taken place in the state since Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi assumed the mantle of leadership, and particularly appreciate how he stabilized the security of the state.

He therefore called on the good people of Rivers State to turn out en masse to give their son and in-law, who is visiting the state for the first time since assuming office as Nigeria’s president, a thrilling welcome.

ENDS

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