The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Ufot Ekaette, on Sunday threatened to revoke the contracts for the construction of the 337 km East-West road.

The Minister issued the threat at Eket, in Akwa Ibom, while speaking with newsmen at the end of a three-day visit to the state to inspect the road projects. He warned the contractor handling the Eket-Oron section that government's patience would be exhausted if substantial progress was not achieved on the project by January 2010.

He said the N200.4 billion East-West dual carriage way contract was awarded by the federal government to open up the Niger Delta region for development. According to the Minister, the projects were divided into four sections in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom.

He said the 87-kilometre Warri-Kaiama section in Delta and Bayelsa was awarded at a cost of N64.1 billion in 2006 and was expected to be completed in August 2010. Ekaette said the 101-km Port Harcourt - Kaiama and Ahoada-Kaiama sections were awarded at a cost of N74.7 billion.

The minister said the third section comprising 99-kilometre, stretching from Eleme Junction, in Rivers, to Eket, in Akwa Ibom, was awarded in 2006 at a cost of N35.6 billion, adding that it was expected to be completed in April 2010.

Ekaette, who said the fourth section, which covered 50 kilometres stretched from Eket to Oron in Akwa Ibom, added that it was awarded at a cost of N26 billion with April 2010 as the completion date.

"We have talked to the contractors frankly and openly. We told them our expectations and the expectations of the people of Niger Delta on the roads.

"Let me assure you that as people committed to the development of Niger Delta, we have a duty to ensure that contractors adhere strictly to the terms of contracts awarded to them," he said. (NAN)