Rivers Gov Denies Sidelining Indigenous Contractors – Commissioner Reveals

The Rivers State Government has denied allegations that it was sidelining indigenous contractors in the award of various developmental projects in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, made this known on Monday while featuring on a radio programme in Port Harcourt monitored by Anaedoonline.

Nigerians groan as road, bridge projects stall for years
Nsirim explained that it was erroneous for anyone to think that indigenous contractors were not carried along in the scheme of things, saying Governor Nyesom Wike does not undermine local contractors, knowing full well that they are critical to development of the state.

He said Lubriks Construction and O.K Isokariari were famous indigenous constructions that were doing good jobs and enjoying government support.

“Lubriks Construction is not Julius Berger. O.K Sokariari is not Julius Berger. They (O.K Sokariari) just finished the Abonema Ring Road. For Lubriks, all the roads you saw in the Ogoni heartland were executed by them.

“There is Chris Joe, an indigenous company too and so many others.

“A good number of projects that are going on in rural areas of Rivers State today and handled by indigenous contractors. And of course you cannot say because a project is being handled by Julius Berger, then local people are not empowered,” Nsirim said.

JULIUS BERGER REVEALS WHEN SECOND NIGER BRIDGE WILL BE COMPLETED

“If Julius Berger is at a particular location, they would not import people from outside Rivers State to supply all the materials they will need. Of course there is a trainee apprentice programme that the Rivers state Government also signed with them.

“For every project they are executing, trainee engineers are taken on board to be trained where that project is ongoing and they are Rivers people and of course you can see the ripple effect that will have for manpower development in the state,” the commissioner added.