Amaechi Protests East-West Road Project Limits

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has called on the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to review the scope of work on the Onne, Alode and Eleme fly-over axis, with a view to making it more  accessible for motorists.

Governor Amaechi made the call Monday, when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, in his office in Abuja.

Represented by his Deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, Governor Amaechi decried the exclusion of Onne, Alode and Eleme fly-over axis of the road from the rehabilitation of the East-West road by the ministry, stressing the need for the Ministry to urgently address the situation.

“We’ve noticed a change of plan on the road as the Onne, Alode and Eleme fly-over axis have been left out from the current rehabilitation work of the East-West Road and they are now in deplorable situation. So, we’ve come to appeal for justice and see that the issue is given desirable attention by your ministry,” the governor said.

He, however, commended the ministry on their projects so far in the State, especially the 33 kilometer Onne, Alode, Afam/Oyigbo Road, which contract had been awarded, noting that for the first time in 26 years the State  witnessed a Federal Government project, and promised to partner with the ministry in areas of peace, security and capacity building, to ensure the delivery of the road project in record time.

Responding, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, said he had already directed his technical team to look into the matter and once they are done, it would be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for approval, adding that the exclusion was not intentional but a fallout of the design inherited from the Ministry of Works, which was handling the project prior to the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

While assuring that the East-West Road rehabilitation project would be completed before 2014 as a grade 1 road, he appealed to the Rivers State government and other Niger Delta states to take advantage of the ministry’s programmes, especially Skills Acquisition Centres for Agriculture, Computer and Oil and Gas being built across the region for the empowerment of youths, adding that only Akwa Ibom State government indicated interest for partnership for the programme.

The state chief executive was accompanied on the visit by the state Commissioners for Works, Chief Victor Giadom,Culture and Tourism, Mr. Nnabuihe Imegwu, Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, among others.