Senate gives Niger Delta Ministry marching order on completion of East/West Road
Eleven years after contract was awarded for construction of the East-West Road which was an outcome of negotiation with the agitating Niger Delta youths, the Senate has stressed an urgent need for the completion of the road , especially the section along Aba/Eleme Road Junction to Onne Road Junction.
Debating a motion on the 675 km dual carriage way, which was awarded by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 at the contract value of N211 billion, Senators yesterday, expressed dismay that the project has suffered neglect and disdain by the federal government.
Leading the debate which he Co-sponsored with 23 others, Senator George Thompson Sekibo ( Rivers East) recalled that the project could not commence in 2007, as it was was not included in the 2007 Appropriation Act, adding that “during the former President Yar’Adua’s tenure, nothing much could be achieved as a result of lack of engineering drawings for the project, which eventually achieved.”
Sekibo also explained that former President Good luck Jonathan after the production of engineering drawings revalidated the contract sum From N211 billion to N726 billion and re awarded same to several contractors.
Despite the development, the Senator regretted that the road is completely in a state of disrepair, which has caused trailers and tankers to fall on regular basis, thus disrupting Economic activities in the country.
Although he commended the Rivers State Government and some multinational companies for carrying out some remediation work to make the roads passable.
In reaction to the motion, the Senate in a resolution urged FERMA to as a matter of urgency intervene in the rehabilitation of the failed section of the Aba Road/Eleme junction to Onne junction.
The Senate also directed the ministry of Niger Delta to ensure the completion of the East/West Road particularly the section that links the multi-million investment within the 2017 budget year , just as it directed the Senate Committee on Niger Delta to ensure compliance with the resolution and report back within four weeks.
