Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Federal Government has described the current state of the East-West Road as a big disappointment and an eyesore, assuring of transferring the completion of the road project from federal Ministry of Works to Ministry of Niger Delta.
Recall that the East-West Road which connects Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States to other parts of the country, as well as host to multi-billion Naira investments such as the Port Harcourt refinery, two oil and gas free zones, Onne seaport amongst others has been in decrepitude in the last two decades.
Speaking, the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, expressed optimism that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will transfer the road project to the Ministry in order to facilitate its urgent completion.
Momoh who spoke during a meeting with the Management and Staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC in Port Harcourt, commended the Commission for expanding the scope of the Okrika -Borokiri Road with three bridges connecting several communities to Port Harcourt.
The Minister noted that the NDDC should continue to deliver on viable projects and applauded the Rivers State Government for showing interest in partnership with the Commission on the project.
He said, “I am delighted to be at NDDC today. This is my first official visit outside Abuja and I am starting from the Rivers State capital. So far, we have inspected some projects being handled by NDDC, as well as the East-West Road, which I consider a big disappointment. What I saw was an eyesore. I will take the matter to Mr. President who is a listening leader. I am confident that he will listen to us and transfer the East West Road to the Ministry.”
According to him, the change in the nomenclature of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development from its former name of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is a sign of a new focus in the drive for sustainable development of the region, thus he called for continuous support for the Federal Government to enable government to achieve its goals of developing the region.
He congratulated Dr. Samuel Ogbuku for returning to the Board of the NDDC and said that in the past people had always felt that NDDC was not doing enough. He stated: “Performance comes with good leadership and that should be supported by loyal staff. We expect that NDDC will key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.”
The Minister also visited the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, at the Government House, where he was received in audience in the company of the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku.
Governor Fubara assured the Minister that his government was open to partnership, saying “If the NDDC is committed, we are ready to partner with them on the Borikiri-Okrika Road project, because it will complete the Port Harcourt Ring Road which we flagged off recently.”
Also speaking, NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, expressed delight over the visit of the Minister to the Commission’s headquarter, as part of a two-day working tour of the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku pledged that the NDDC will continue to support the vision of the Ministry and the Federal Government in the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.
He said, “We are happy to receive the Minister. NDDC will always cooperate with the Ministry, and we hope that the Ministry will also support us. I assure you that there will be no friction between the Ministry and the NDDC. The joint inspection today testifies to this new cordial working relationship.”
