Stakeholders in the Niger Delta have insisted that the
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godsday Orubebe’s unguarded outburst recently
on the performance of the Rivers State Government was totally diversionary,
misguided and flippant, and warned the Federal Government not to politicise the
reconstruction and dualisation of the East-West Road.

A cross section of stakeholders, who spoke to The Tide at
different fora in Port Harcourt, expressed strong exception to the diversionary
attack on the person of the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi by the
minister, saying that he  failed to win
the confidence of the people of the region, following his embarrassing and
abysmal performance thus far.

President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Apostle
Zilly Aggrey, told The Tide in an interview that it would be wrong for the
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godsday Orubebe to politicise the
reconstruction of the East-West Road, as according to him, the road was very
critical to the economic well-being of the people of the region.

Apostle Aggrey, who decried the intolerable carnage and
wanton loss of lives on the road, faulted the award of contract for the stretch
of the road from Warri in Delta State to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to only
one contractor, and also described as unserious comments made by Orubebe that
the Federal Government was shopping for a loan of N50billion to complete the
all-important road.

According to Aggrey, the most effective measure to fix the
East-West Road is to “allocate portions of the road to different major and
competent contractors with definite specifications”, adding that, “only contractors
that deliver on schedule should be rewarded with another contract while those
who fail to deliver or default on agreed terms should be sanctioned”.

The cleric called on Orubebe to exercise caution and
restraint while making public statements, saying that his recent vituperation
was unnecessary.

In his reaction, Barrister Barinada Baragbara said that the
Niger Delta governments could complete the East-West Road project only if there
was clear understanding between them and the Federal Government.

“My opinion is that the various tiers of government have
jurisdiction. But where the road that is meant for the Federal Government is
being abandoned, and other tiers of government are worried because its failure
negatively impacts their development, then they owe their people the
responsibility to fashion out workable means of getting the road completed as
quickly as possible in partnership with the Federal Government”, he noted.

George Nwobilor, a politician, warned against further
politicising of the road, as its continuous neglect has led to series of
accidents and loss of lives of innocent people of the region, urging the South
South governors to wade into the stalemate, and take over the road project to
save the people from further hardship and deaths.

Also speaking, Barrister Humble cautioned that any attempt
by the state governors in the region to take over the road project would mean
stepping beyond their bounds, stressing that what the governors need to do is
to bring pressure to bear on the Federal Government to complete the road.

In his opinion, a human rights activist, Chukwu Nkendu
likened the East-West Road to the Second Niger Bridge, which the Federal
Government is asking the catchment states to contribute money for its
execution, emphasising that the Federal Government seems to be treating the
people of the South South and South East as though they were second class
citizens in Nigeria.

But for Sampson Sunday, a driver, the East-West Road is the
responsibility of the Federal Government to deliver, insisting that the
government must diligently execute the project to its logical conclusion to
save users of the road from unnecessary accidents and deaths.

Also contributing, Dayeh Bereyin, a development analyst,
said the Federal Government has the constitutional mandate to construct the
East-West Road, arguing that allowing the South South governors to take over
the completion of the road amounts to dereliction of duty on the part of the
Federal Government.

He argued that the Niger Delta governors have their hands
full already with people-oriented
developmental projects, saying that diverting funds meant for the
development of their various states to complete the East-West Road would starve
them of scarce resources to drive development, reduce poverty and create jobs
in their states.

Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Rivers State, Comrade Chika
Onuegbu, called on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to seek more funds to
complete the road on schedule rather than employing diversionary and offensive
tactics to delay the road’s completion, advising him to concentrate on
pragmatic and proactive efforts to deliver an all-season road before the end of
the tenure of this administration.

“The Ministry of Niger Delta is still playing politics with
the road. The Federal Government must rise up to its responsibility, and fix
the road”, he said.

President, Niger Delta Coalition Against Violence, Lekia
Christian, argued that “the Ministry of Niger Delta has failed on its part to
deliver the East-West Road”, advising the ministry to concentrate on finding
ways of quickly fixing the road instead of engaging in unnecessary political
adventures.

According to him, “if the governors of the South South
states have decided to take over and complete the road, so be it. The people are
disappointed and will welcome any intervention measure that could put the road
in better shape.

“The minister should resign for failing on his duties. He
has failed Niger Deltans. He has even failed the President, Dr Goodluck
Jonathan, who appointed him”, he added.