The Delta State government is intervening on several federal roads across the state to enable Deltans and other Nigerians to have unfettered access to convey goods and services, the State Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Mr Charles Aniagwu, has said.
Speaking during the inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction of the old Umutu-Abraka-Eku road at Abraka in the Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday, Aniagwu pleaded with the Federal Government to fast-track the reconstruction of the Umutu-Abraka-Eku road project.
According to him, the state governor, Rt. Sheriff Oborevwori, was determined to complete the old road as an alternative to the failed Umutu/Eku Road.
Flanked by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon, and the Functioning Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Engr. Solomon Aghagba, said, “We are intervening to ensure that our people have alternative routes to commute using this place as an alternative route while we are pleading with the Federal Government to fast-track the reconstruction of the Agbor-Abraka-Amukpe road.
“Although the road has been awarded by the federal government, they started from the Amukpe end. We just hope that they increase the speed, and even though they are not able to dualize completely, let them work on one lane so that our people can commute well on that corridor.
“Right from time to time, we have always intervened on federal roads. The Ughelli-Asaba Expressway that we are constructing is a federal road, but we are building it because it serves our people and it serves Nigerians.
“We are hoping and pleading with the Federal Government to take proper responsibility for maintaining the federal roads because the reason why the Federal Government has as much as 52 per cent of revenue allocation is because it is reasoned that the Federal Government has lots of responsibilities.
“Of course, it is often said that to whom much is given, much is also expected. So we do hope that the Federal Government sheds their load and the revenue they take or retains the revenues they take while at the same time taking responsibility for the reasons that revenues are given in that proportion.”
He said, “We ought to have finished this road by now, but as we progressed, we noticed that there were other things we needed to do, particularly with the Mudi Beach Road in Abraka.
“Not quite long after the contract was awarded, the prices of construction materials skyrocketed, and I am impressed with what the contractor has done here on the Mudi Beach Road.
“When we return, we will take a second look at the contract price to enable him to speed up the project to completion.”
He condemned acts of blocking drains by developers, adding that such nefarious acts could have serious consequences for flooding the environment, and urged residents and zonal engineers to ensure that such acts don’t happen again across the state.
At the Okan Junction to Agbarho Road, Aniagwu, while lauding the contractor for his speed and quality of work, said Governor Oborevwori was pursuing the completion of projects awarded by his administration with the same zest he used in completing some projects he inherited.
The Commissioner, who also inspected the Esezi Road dualisation project at Orerokpe, added that the many projects under construction across the state were an indication that the Governor’s MORE Agenda aimed at advancing Delta was very much on course.
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