The Rivers State Government has intensified efforts to tackle persistent flooding along Ikwerre Road in Port Harcourt, with the Ministry of Works inspecting ongoing drainage desilting works in the Mile 1 axis of the busy corridor.
Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr Austin Ezekiel-Hart, on Tuesday led a team of ministry officials on an assessment visit to the project site, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work executed by the contractor.
Ezekiel-Hart, who was conducted round key desilting points, urged the firm to accelerate completion to meet the stipulated timeline, stressing the importance of restoring free water flow to prevent further flooding.
Chief Engineer of the contracting firm, Engr. Friday Ugaba, attributed the recurring flooding along Ikwerre Road to years of accumulated waste dumped into the drainage system by traders and residents.
He revealed that the drains had not been desilted for over 12 years, describing the situation as a major contributor to the perennial overflow experienced in the area.
Ugaba noted that underground drainage systems of that scale should ideally be cleared at least once every three months to ensure efficiency.
He disclosed that, beyond clearing the main drainage channels, the company plans to construct subsidiary drains to channel runoff from adjoining streets into a major outlet that empties into the Ntawoba River.
According to him, the combined intervention — desilting the primary drains and constructing auxiliary channels — is expected to eliminate flooding in the Mile 1 axis within three to four weeks.
“We are also working on other sections of Ikwerre Road, from Echue Junction to Ikoku. Within three weeks to one month, significant progress would have been achieved,” he said.
Leaders of market unions who joined the inspection commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for initiating the project, describing it as a relief to traders and commuters who have endured years of disruption during heavy rainfall.
President General of Market Unions in Rivers State, Amb. Eddy Bright Chinedu, alongside the Vice Chairman of Mile 1 Market, Jude Chinedu Onuoha, and the Yoruba Women Leader, Alhaja Amirat Gambari, lauded the intervention but raised concerns over indiscriminate waste disposal in the area.
They appealed to the state government to reopen the newly constructed Mile 1 Market complex to accommodate street traders, arguing that relocating them would reduce the practice of dumping refuse into the drains.
The drainage intervention forms part of broader infrastructure efforts by the state government to address urban flooding and improve traffic flow in Port Harcourt’s commercial hubs.
