Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara has expressed displeasure over the prolonged neglect by the Federal Government of the collapsed Eleme Junction to Onne Section of the East West Road.
The governor made his feelings known on Wednesday when the Senate Special Adhoc Committee, who was on a tour of the road visited him at Government House, Port Harcourt.
He stated that the deplorable East-West Road connecting the Niger Delta should not take endless national debates to realise its completion due to its value for national development.
The Senate had in a motion mandated the Adhoc Committee to do facts finding on the deplorable road.
The mandate was in line with resolutions reached on a motion raised by Barry Mpigi, Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District on ‘Tales of the Land 2023’, co-sponsored by 90 senators.
“Knowing full well how important the East-West Road Junction from Eleme to Onne is, I don’t see why there should be endless debates about it”, Fubara told the delegation led by Sen Abdul Ningi.
“It is still a big problem for us. A problem that affects 10 LGAs. Sections of Obio Akpor, Okrika, Ogu Bolo, and my own Senatorial District were completely affected. It should be something previous governments would have taken a clear decision on.
“I was the former Account General of Rivers. I feel very bad. I know how much was deducted from FAAC, for critical national projects. Why was East-West Road not part of that?
“I wrote the Ministry of Works a letter. For two months you can’t access my place. You have to pass Oyigbo. I ask what remedial effort we can make. It is a federal road but it is my people who suffer the pains of its deplorable state.”
Earlier, Sen Abdul Ningi, leader of the delegation had told Fubara, “For a very long time, we never had Senators, almost 90 cosponsor a motion like this one. When Barry raised the motion, a lot of us were emotional, concerned.”
“What this basically tells us is that Nigerians are very mindful of the deplorable conditions in the Niger Delta. And that we are also mindful of the fact that 80% of the resources of this country come from the area and we are dismayed, disappointed, and it is lamentable that in the last three to four decades, this region has not gained adequate representation in terms of infrastructure development.
“We are strongly disturbed at the deplorable nature of the road. We have seen areas where the whole road is completely washed off. We thought there is a missing link in what is happening. Our desire is that this road must be constructed to the best of standards so that people can enjoy the road for the next two, three decades.
“Having seen this road physically, we will go and do an open public hearing whereby the contractors, government, representatives of the South-South, ministry of works, NNPCL, ministry of finance, we will all sit down In Abuja and invite people to bring in their excuses.
“First we want to establish how much has been spent overtime on the road, how much for what job done by who and why. We are not apportioning blame for now.”
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