The recent pronouncement by the Federal Government approving N100 billion for the completion of the ‘orphaned’ East West Road was supposed to have elicited a high level of excitement from motorists making use of it and those whose economic cables are connected to it.
Surprisingly, the excitement simply funnelled into void, not because government’s decision is not worth the supposed enthusiasm, but simply because the road project had in the past received more political attention than being actually constructed and completed.
Although one can hardly predict the outcome of the current zeal by the government on the road, successive administrations in the past saw the project as an avenue to gain political relevance and used it as a campaign tool in the region as well as watch while individuals merely used it to siphon money.
With the current disposition of the Federal Government, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may just be on its way into the history books as delivering on a major intractable project that outlived the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations despite the billions of naira allegedly put into it.
For the records, the position of the ruling party on the road project is not sudden as it had, as far back as 2016, reminded the Niger Delta minister of the need to urgently get the 338-kilometer dual carriage road fixed. More pathetic is the fact that the contract for the road was initially awarded as far back as in 2006 during the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and it was billed to be completed by 2010.
However, due to what those in charge described as a few challenges, nothing reasonable was recorded as only 10 per cent completion was attained as at 2009, and completion of the design and drawings in 2010.
One commendable step that has been taken so far to prove seriousness on the part of the Federal Government is the release of the N100 billion for the completion as estimated by Presidential Inter- Ministerial team that did an assessment tour of Sections 1 to 4 of the East- West road from Warri, Delta State to Oron, Akwa Ibom State.
As a matter of fact, the urgency the project deserves is to be measured by the level of interest put in its completion as nonavailability of funds had never been the issue. Recall that even the China Export- Import Bank had in the past agreed to support the construction of Section 5 of the road from Oron to Calabar with the sum of $500 million, while the Federal Government pays the counterpart fund.
For a project that was initially estimated to cost about N349 billion but later shot up to N560 billion as successive ministers derived pleasure in presenting their own estimates, it gulped well over N248 billion as far back as 2014, which was the initial completion year, as funds were actually made available from different sources including a $150 million credit facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and SURE-P for its completion.
But as usual with most government projects, bulk of the funds was diverted while the project was abandoned without the minister(s) and contractor questioned.
To further establish the seriousness of the current administration, which is required at this point considering the failure of the past, the Presidency has also been liberal enough to have directed that the N100 billion be paid directly to the contractors from the Federation Account.
This, indeed, is a step to ensure a hitch-free construction that is devoid of any form of bureaucratic bottlenecks. These are indeed commendable steps to finally complete the nightmare that has been associated with this major Niger Delta artery, which has been a source of series of encumbrance to economic and other socio-politico activities in that region.
To say the least, the East West Road, as it were, has not only been another major reference to government’s poor handling of critical infrastructure across the country, it has, over time, also mirrored the failure of political leaders that have ever emerged from that section of the country, who could neither muster the courage to get the road finished nor influenced the powers that be to do same.
To accentuate the political deceit and monumental fraud that had been associated with the completion of the road, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs had as far back as 2014 said the road was 77 per cent completed after an assessment of the work by contractors, while Section 1 Warri-Kaiama 87.4km in Delta was 90 per cent completed. Section II Kaiama-Port Harcourt (101km) in Bayelsa/Rivers states 52 per cent completed and Sections III and IV Eket-Oron (51km) in Akwa Ibom State was 88 and 80 per cent completed.
Over time, checks revealed that subject to weather condition and lack of the needed maintenance, whatever job that had been done in the past has suffered some degeneration and practically demanding more funds and attention.
While we commend the Federal Government for this noble decision to put an end to the nightmare and waste of funds, we are equally of the opinion that the same attention be directed to other critical projects across the country. Specifically, we advise that work on the Second Niger Bridge, Abuja- Kogi, Lagos-Ibadan express roads and other projects demanding attention be urgently attended to.
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