The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has pledged the ministry’s commitment to delivering quality East-West Road expected on completion to cost about N1 trillion.
Announcing this Thursday at the inaugural virtual meeting of counterparts on the complementary programme for the project, Akpabio said this was to ensure the safety, efficiency and economic viability of the road to avoiding compromise and return on investment guaranteed.
The 337km road running from Efurun in Delta State to Oron borders between Cross-River State and Akwa Ibom state. It was awarded in 2006 by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He explained that the huge cost of the road was due to the nature of the terrain and magnitude of the project, noting that it was logical that an investment of this magnitude should elicit further attention for its management beyond just construction.
According to the Minister, “the Ministry has put together this initiative to rally all counterparts to combine all efforts into providing a befitting management structure for the road corridor.
“It is based on the clear comprehension that all the states along this corridor have a germane role to play in the planning, development and management of their respective domains and that the actions and inactions of any will ultimately affect the corridor.”
The former Akwa Ibom governor explained that owning to the experience on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other major highways in the country the collective task of the counterpart team is to ensure that the highway corridor is efficient, safe and economical in the short, medium and long term.
He stressed that it is critical and compelling for the Ministry urgently and proactively take steps to guarantee the road corridor to deal with the envisaged challenges of settlement, growth and human activities along the route.
Members of the counterpart team are Mr Olalekan Lana (FMW&H), Engr. I. Y Danlele (FMW&H) Mrs Ehigie Agalasi (FMT), Chief Arthur Akpowowo, Hon Commissioner, (representative of Govt. of Delta State) Tpl Benson Diriyai ((ML&HD) representative of Bayelsa State Govt., Barr Erastus C Awortu jp (representative of River State Government).
Others are Engr Ime Sunday Akpan (representative of Akwa Ibom government); Mr Patrick Agbe (consultant to Cross River State Government); Engr. Patrick Okereafor (MNDA), Tpl. Olufemi Oloruntola (MNDA), Engr. Osahon Idemudia (MNDA).
In his goodwill message, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, said that the East-West road corridor will attract development of human settlement and economic activities towards it when completed and the Ministry under its current leadership is desirous of turning around the fortunes of the Niger Delta Region (NDR) for the better.
Alasoadura said that complementary programme for the East-West road is one of the many initiatives of this current resolve to elicit partnership for better result.
“The East-West road is our prime asset and our duty is to ensure that we all play our parts creditably in its upkeep and management,” he added.
