Ikuru Lizzy
Mr Gift Worlu, the Chairman, Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Rivers, has disclosed plans to establish a traffic agency to tackle indecent road culture in the area.
Worlu made the disclosure at the third quarterly meeting of the Obio/Akpor Business and Economic Forum (OBEF) on Monday.
OBEF is a non-political advocacy platform that promotes development and economic prosperity in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Lamenting the negative impact of poor traffic management on productivity, Worlu pledged his administration’s readiness to to take proactive actions.
He said that the council would strengthen collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps to improve traffic management.
The council chairman condemned the attitude of some residents who had continued to violate traffic rules through street trading and unlawful blockade of roads.
“Being an indigene does not give anyone the power to trade along the road or block the roads during burials and other events.
“I have never approved closure of any road for burial or any ceremony since I became chairman, yet some people are still blocking our roads”.
Worlu further said that the council would enact laws to check illegal road blocks in the area to restore sanity
Also speaking, Mr Igo Weli, the Chairman, OBEF Board, urged the 15-member board inaugurated to effectively pilot the affairs of the forum towards achieving objectives.
Weli, who is also the Vice-President, Relations and Sustainable Development, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd., noted that Obio/Akpor had become a strategic area in Nigeria’s economy.
He said that effective management of available opportunities could enable the area to compete favourably with Lagos in terms of gross domestic product growth and other economic indices.
The board chairman also encouraged youths in the area to explore opportunities in agriculture to promote wealth creation and self-reliance.
Weli pledged to strengthen existing partnerships between Renaissance Africa Energy Company and OBEF, particularly in local content, contracts and skilled employment.
Also speaking, Prof. Okechukwu Onuchuku, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, emphasised the need for cooperation between operating companies and host communities.
Onuchuku urged company executives to promote community inclusivity, noting that such cooperation remained fundamental to business growth, security and stability.
Meanwhile, participants at the forum commended Worlu for his people-oriented leadership style.
