Royal fathers and community leaders in the Niger Delta region under the auspices of East-West Road Community Association (EWRCA), have raised alarm over an alleged plan by the Federal Government to abandon the ongoing construction work on the East-West Road.

The chairman of the association, His Royal Highness, Eze Joshua Eyiiba of Ekpeye Kingdom in Rivers State, raised the alarm during the press briefing organised by the association in Port Harcourt, recently.

The chairman, whose address was read by the Secretary of the association, Chief  Bob-Chima Okala said that the alarm was necessitated by the recent claim by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Hon God’sday Orubebe that the road project was 50 percent completed.

He also alleged that the Minister directed that money so far released for the ongoing project recently should be spent only on the Delta State segment of the road, thereby abandoning the Kaiama, Mbiama-Port Harcourt section of the project.

The association disclosed that the Senate Committee on Works on its oversight function on the project only visited the Delta segment of the road and went straight to Eleme-Akwa Ibom axis without inspecting the Kaiama-Eleme stretch of the road.

According to the association, the decision of the Senate  Committee on Works to by-pass the Kaiama-Eleme segment was further confirmation that the Federal Government had concluded plans to abandon the project, especially the Kaiama-Eleme axis of the road.

The group condemned the claims by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs that over 50 per cent of the project had been achieved, adding that the statements were false.

There was a televised press interview that 50 per cent of the job has been done on East-West Road project.  We wonder what  statistical index or criteria our Hon Minister used in arriving at such incoherent analysis. How could they have done 50 per cent when even the newly expanded road has neither been done, nor the old one touched at all”, he asked.

The EWRCA leader averred that it was disappointing to note that a drive from Eleme junction in Port Harcourt through Ahoada to Kaiama and Ugheli would show the abysmal performance on the road project contrary to speculations of the honourable minister.

Eze Eyiba appealed to the Federal Government to release money to SETRACO Nigeria Limited, the contracting firm handling the project, to enable it continue the project, adding that the East – West Road had become a death trap which he said had been causing avoidable accidents virtually every day.

He stated that the completion of the road project was initially slated for 2010 and later shifted to 2014 but expressed fears that the work might not be completed before the end of the present administration.

Also speaking, Eze Robinson O. Robinson, Royal Majesty of Ekpeye Kingdom, who is the patron of the association, corroborated the fears of the royal fathers that the Federal Government may abandon the road project, adding that the region was the economic nerve-centre of the nation.

The Royal Father appealed to President Good Jonathan and the Minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe to ensure that the ongoing East-West Road project was completed before the expiration of their tenure, considering the economic importance of the road, adding that Federal Government could not hide under the cover of Boko Haram insurgency as an excuse not to complete the job.