A kickoff meeting for the development of the new Port Harcourt city held today at the greater Port Harcourt City development authority complex in Port Harcourt.
The meeting was between the River State Government ably represented by the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority And the developers of the New Port City, The Rainbow Heritage group, who have been trying to draw up a work plan for the project since the ground breaking ceremony held at the new site at Eleme recently.
According to the Acting Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt city, TPL Dr. Tonte Davies,
The plan is to develop the New Port City located at Eleme which is the phase 2.
He said the development was necessary considering the industries that are located around there which will integrate all of the development around that corridor.
He buttressed the fact that His Excellency, Sir, Siminialayi Fubara, GSSRS is passionate about this new city project. Noting, that it was among his first point of call when he resumed his duties as Governor, he visited the site with a mandate to develop new cities in Rivers State.
While Speaking to Eveafrique news, TPL Dr Tonte Davies cited that cities are not built in a day rather, they evolve. He added that It is not only infrastructural development the new city will have, but it will also be an embodiment of all round growth both economically and physically which will be a hub to industries.
Concerning challenges the new project has faced, Dr Davies condemned the issue of encroachment.
Mr Tony Apele, the board Chairman of The Rainbow Heritage Group, who are the developers of the New City Project stated that it is a call to develop a new city in the Eleme area of Rivers State.
Mr Epelle noted that an MOU has been signed already between the Rivers State government and the Rainbow Heritage Group who are renowned for developing a number of estates in Rivers State, Anambra state and other States.
He further stated that the coming together today of the two parties is to enter a new venture to build a new and different city which will be multi-dimensional not just a modern cosmopolitan city but different from what Port Harcourt is now. A city with social impact.
According to Mr Epelle, one unique feature of the city is that it’s going to have manufacturing, agricultural business and investment, oil and gas section and also hospitality and entertainment.
Additionally, he said the whole idea is to build a modern city never done in Nigeria that is well planned, having all the facets to enable growth and development.
He revealed that the city is 1,000 hectares and it is 5 times the size of Victoria Island Lagos and almost equal to Dangote Refinery.
He lamented that although Port Harcourt is expanding, there’s little land, adding that there are lots of unplanned areas in Port Harcourt but development will bring in a planned and modern State.
In Conclusion, he opined that the project is welcomed with open arms as the community was not left out, they were involved in the ground breaking, they came in full support. The security agencies are involved even the general public, that it is going to be a new hub.
