Senate summons works minister over Bodo/Bonny Road

*Orders committee to carry out comprehensive evaluation of the road

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has been summoned by the Senate to explain the reasons behind the abandonment of Bodo/Bonny Road linking the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in Bonny Rivers state.
When appearing before the Senate Committee on Works, Fashola will be expected to explain to the committee the circumstances surrounding the federal government’s inability to partner with the NLNG Management for urgent completion of the 35km road project awarded for N20billion in 2002 during the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

The upper legislative chamber also directed its committee on works to carry out an independent comprehensive evaluation of the Bodo/Bonny road project and report back within four weeks.

The decision of the Senate on the issue of the contentious road were fallouts of a motion moved to that effect by Senator George Thompson Sekibo, and co-sponsored by Senators Osinakachukwu Ideozu and Magnus Abe, all from Rivers state.

Sekibo, in the motion, recalled that the 37km road project in Gokana local government area of Rivers state which hosts the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas in Bonny was awarded by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasajo for a cost of N20billion in 2002, re-awarded by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 after years of abandonment at contract revalidation value of N120billion out of which N20billion was appropriated for in the 2015 budget which was however not cash backed.

According to him, “to worsen matters, the all important road project was not captured in the 2016 budget thus making the lack of understanding of the importance of the road for national economic development obvious.”

He lamented further that though the road project was captured in the 2017 budget but a meager vote of N9billion was earmarked for it which according to him, will lead to continued abandonment of the project.

A disturbing scenario, he added, made the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, approach the management of NLNG last year for needed collaboration with federal government on execution of the road project upon which the NLNG management accepted to contribute a whooping sum of N60billion (50% ) of the contract value of N120billion.

He however lamented that despite the good disposition of NLNG to partner the federal government on execution of the road project, the government at the centre, which has business concern worth $13billion, has not taken the needed steps to actualize the proposal and commence the execution of the project which, after completion, will earn it more revenues through the NLNG than any other government.

All the Senators who contributed to debate on the motion supported it by concurring to its prayers as adopted by the Senate.