PORT HARCOURT: CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE AND RECLAIMING THE GARDEN CITY STATUS
THE city of Port Harcourt earned the appellation "Garden City" due to mastery demonstrated by British townplanners in planning the city. The orderly planning, aesthetic beauty, open spaces, parks and playing fields, and of course the irresistible greenery that characterized the landscape earned the appellation "Garden City".
Founded in 1912, and named after Lewis Vernon Harcourt, the city's beauty endeared her to many and made her a favoured tourist destination.
Population explosion, environmental issues, negligence and a multiplicity of other issues led to a reverse and city lost its pride of place, gradually losing the essence of the appellation "Garden City".
On assumption of office, the current administration of the state, led by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike CON, GSSRS identified this as a challenge and moved to swiftly reclaim the garden city status. First was the rapid and aggressive effort to rid the city of pot holes and bad roads, then followed the construction of the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park, which is such an audacious move to reverse the sad story, and then the widespread push to landscape and beautify the city.
These pictures show the project for the landscaping and beautification of the Airforce-Eliozu bridge/Fly-over being executed by the Rivers State Government, through the Bureau For Special Projects, Rivers State.
The Special Adviser to the Governor of Rivers on Special Projects and Head of the Bureau For Special Projects George-kelly, D.A. (FNIQS) stopped over during a routine project inspection tour.
The Gardens are coming back.
More still to come
