RSG, World Bank Partner On Road Maintenance

The Rivers State Government says it is partnering with the World Bank under the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) project for a second phase repair of 96 roads across the State.
The State Project Coordinator, Mr. Kelcious Amos said this in an interview with newsmen at a two-day training of field staff and contractors on the techniques of labour intensive public works in Port Harcourt.
Mr. Amos said that the public works sub-component of the SEEFOR project is yielding results as most public roads in the rural areas are being maintained.
He said that the training would equip participants with useful skills that would be useful to them in future and stressed the need for them to take the training seriously.
According to him, diligent discharge of their duties in road maintenance in the rural area would bring a new relationship which would go along way in the promotion of peace across communities in the State.
Earlier declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Budget andEconomic Planning, Mr. Felix Odungweru, said that the overall objective of the SEEFOR project was to enhance employment opportunities, access to socio-economic services while improving the public finance management system of the State.
Mr. Odungweru said that small contracts were already being implemented in needy communities in urban, semi-urban and rural areas which involve rehabilitation and improvement in priority infrastructures.
He, however said that it is worrisome that many local contractors had not shown enough competence in labour-based public works, adding that the situation was affecting their ability to secure long terms jobs for sustenance of skilled and unskilled labour.
The Permanent Secretary said that the workshop would help the participants to acquire the needed skills that would be useful to them in future.