We need N70b to complete East West Road—NDDC MD

Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere, has declared that the commission and its supervising Ministry, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, need over N70 billion to complete the construction of the East-West Road which straddles the six South South states.

Nsima, according to a statement issued on Friday by the Director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Ibitoye Abosede, made the declaration while receiving the minister, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, at the NDDC headquarters in Port-Harcourt.

“NDDC will partner with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and private sector investors on the construction of the East-West road. Over N70 billion is needed to complete the road. So the strategy will be to harness private sector collaboration to complete the road. The portions that have totally collapsed will be addressed immediately,” he said.

He lamented that the Eleme-Refinery Junction section was in a very terrible state, adding, “It is so bad that a 10-minute journey on that axis now takes three hours. That section of the road has failed and we will get contractors to the site immediately”.

The NDDC Chief Executive Officer said the construction of the remaining sections of the road would be handled by many contractors, disclosing that, “Our strategy involves multiple contractors. The road, which is a strategic link to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, connects Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.”

According to Ekere, the commission was embarking on a centralised e-project management scheme which would reduce waste and costs on project management.