Port Harcourt modern auto parts market now on fast track

The dream has been long in session but day seems to be here. Every governor or administration that comes in Rivers State wants spare parts dealers and those associated with cars to go out of the heart of Diobu to the outskirts of the Garden City.

Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the man said to have big mind for legacy projects, took the project like a weightlifter by securing the sight at Iriebe in Elelenwo but his last two years were in political crisis.

Nyesom Wike began by giving huge hope for the project and in fact, laid the foundation stone and hope was very high. The market was to mop up all parts sellers and dealers, auto electricians, sellers and repairers of other accessories, and send them to a kind of village between Eleme Flyover and Oyigbo, jutting backward into Igbo-Etche.

The auto-parts village is to have a school, a church, a market, clinic/maternity, and other facilities so people can conclude all their family transactions in one place. Such was the dream that shot the impending occupants to high blooms. But, this was aborted in the Wike era. An insider in the market laid the blame on traders’ actions, greed, etc.

Now, Gov Sim Fubara seems to have cracked the code and must have found what went wrong and where.

Last week, the governor took a significant step on the project on what is known as the ‘Port Harcourt International Automobile Spare Parts Trading and Commercial Centre.’ The governor said he was delighted to make another significant impact on strategic governance in the state.

He emphasised that the project was evidence of his genuine interest in the wellbeing of Rivers people, and the desire to promote growth, not because of any personal or business interest.

He explained that when he assumed office, the initial partners of the project were invited, and after extensive discussion and the reasons they gave for the delay, it was decided to relieve them of the job.