Port Harcourt — The Community Development Committees of Niger-Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas (CDC-NDOGPA) and other stakeholders have expressed disappointment with the quality of construction work on the East-West Road.
The oil communities called on the Federal Government to speed up work on the East-West Road to justify the several billions of naira sunk on the road since the era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
They expressed concern about the economic implication of neglecting the Eleme-Onne section of the strategic expressway that runs through the six states of the South-South region.
Besides the loss of man hours because of attendant traffic gridlock, they lamented that the rickety section, which commuters, tanker drivers, and traders travel on everyday for their daily bread, and which connects other parts of the country with over 1,000 active companies, including two oil refineries, oil and gas trade zone, had taken several lives through avoidable accidents.
Irked by the lethargy in completing the section, the stakeholders called on the Federal Government to change the contractor handling that portion of the road and award the same to a more competent construction firm.
The deplorable section links Akwa-Ibom and Cross-River states on the East-West Road.
Conduit pipe for sleaze - Ambakaderimo, CDC-NDOGPA chair
The chairman of the board of CDC-NDOGPA, Joseph Ambakaderimo, told NDV that the oil communities want the concrete pavement used in the Lagos-Calabar coastal railway to be deployed to the East/West Road for durability.
"We do not even know if that road is a dual carriageway or single; the quality of the road is not what we expect because of its importance, and attendant vehicular and human traffic. We do not also know the contract value of that project, yet, its economic importance cannot be undermined.
"That road is a conduit pipe for sleaze. We lose a lot of man-hours travelling on that road. The livelihood of millions of families depends totally on that section of the road. Besides the individual economy, Nigeria's economy depends on the state of that road because of numerous companies, including refineries located at Eleme.
"The Federal Government must speed up work on the entire East/West Road to justify the several billions of naira sunk into it since the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo."
Nsuke, MOSOP president faults FG
President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, censured the Federal Government for not completing the East/West Road on schedule.
Nsuke argued that the contractor must have abandoned the road because of government's inability to meet certain obligations.
"The abandonment of that road is very frustrating. Our economic activities, especially in Ogoni, have been adversely affected by the actions of the construction company. People have resorted to trekking a long distance on that part of the road. That is very dangerous. Many of our people have died on that road due to its bad condition.
"The Federal Government should take the blame for not doing the needful on that all-important piece of the road. The government makes so much money from companies operating along that road through tax and levies, yet, has done nothing to resuscitate the unfortunate state of the road," he said.
The Federal Government paid N33 billion to the RCC for that section of the road early last year. Recently, the Minister of Works, Dr. David Umahi, upon his visit to the construction site, expressed deep disappointment over the slow pace, and low quality of work on the road.
We've lost N3 trillion--Fyneface, executive director, YEAC
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An environmental justice activist, and executive director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Center, YEAC, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said since that critical section of the road was abandoned by the Reynold Construction Company, RCC, about two months ago. "We have lost no less than N3 trillion."
Fyneface recalled the sad incident of April 26, when a tanker exploded at the Aleto section of the road, killing about six persons, and burning over 100 vehicles.
"Over 1000 companies are doing business on that road and it connects other South-South states. Thousands of commercial vehicles ply that road daily. You cannot quantify the value of that road, yet, it is in a very deplorable state."
The activist, who participated in the August 2023 protest on the state of the East-West Road suggested that RCC, the contractor handling that section of the road, should refund part of the N33billion part payment by the FG for the completion of that section of the road project.
