Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, has promised to reconstruct the Creek Road Market in the old Port Harcourt Township into an ultra-modern facility that would afford traders a conducive trading environment, and give the city a new look.
The governor explained that the decision stems from his commitment to implement the urban renewal policy of his administration, which puts the people first.
Gov. Fubara made the promise when he visited the market on November 19, 2024, to see how trading activities take place within the entire Creek Road and adjoining streets.
He explained that restoring Port Harcourt to its cherished Garden City status, will require transforming it into a liveable city that offers sustainable and equitable urban environment.
That would not be possible, he asserted, if trading activities were not confined to designated places to achieve the desired goal.
Gov. Fubara said: “You are aware that some weeks ago, a committee was inaugurated for the redevelopment of Port Harcourt Township.
“Since then, I have been getting a lot of calls from the old boys of Port Harcourt Township that, if we have to do anything, first of all, we need to sort out the issue of the market.”
The governor recalled that when the Creek Road was reconstructed by the immediate past administration, the traders were relocated to No 3 Field temporarily.
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However, he added that after the road reconstruction work was completed, no deliberate plan was undertaken to return the traders to their regular trading place, neither was the market rebuilt for them.
“We are aware of that when Creek Road was reconstructed, the market was relocated to No 3 Field, and it affected the face of the town. So, I came here myself with the commissioner for housing, commissioner for urban development and physical planning, chairman of the committee for the re-urbanization of Port Harcourt Township, and the secretary to the state government, to see for ourselves what we can do immediately.
“I can say here that the first thing we are going to do immediately, before we start the cleaning and the redesigning of Port Harcourt Township, is to make sure that we give them (traders) a befitting market.
“With that, we can immediately move those people out of those residential areas so we can commence beautifying the town,” he stressed.
Gov. Fubara said he feels sad that Rivers people, and indeed, residents of Port Harcourt were made to go through such an ugly experiences in the course of achieving development.
He stated that since government is a continuum, his administration would do everything possible to make sure that Creek Road traders were settled in an appropriate and befitting market.
