AKPABIO CALLS FOR PATIENCE ON THE ON THE ELEME AXIS OF THE EAST-WEST ROAD

The Honourable Minister, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA), Senator Godswill Akpabio has appealed to protesting Niger Delta youths to bear with the Federal Government on the Eleme axis of the East- West road.

Akpabio disclosed this while meeting with the Ogoni Ethnic Nationality stakeholders recently to appeal for peace and calmness by the youths in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He assured that the MNDA will take urgent adequate intervention steps to address the deplorable state of the Eleme-Onne Section soon and ensuring the completion of the project by 2022.

The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Babayo Ardo informed that with the review of the initial contract scope of works and contract unit rates imperative, specific measures for addressing the contingent site conditions militating against the progress of work.

Conveying the efforts being made by the Federal Government through the Ministry on the progress of work on the upgrading of 15km Portharcourt to Onne Port Junction Section lllA of the ongoing East-West Road Dualization project contract, the Minister noted that the initial contracts for dualization of the 338km road linking Warri to Oron through Kaima, Ahoada, Portharcourt, Ogoni and Eket Townships (Sections 1-1V) was initially awarded in four sections to four different contractors in 2006.’lt is well known that Section 1 (Warri – Kaima covering km. 0+000-Km.15+000 was not part of the contract initially awarded in 2006 because it was in good condition having been dualized earlier, noting that’ over time, the Portharcourt – Onne junction portion had progressively deteriorated as a result of heavy axle loading, flooding and is no longer serviceable for the current traffic volumes. Therefore, the Ministry had to award the Contract for additional works to Messrs RCC Nigeria Limited to upgrade the Portharcourt Onne Port Junction ‘.
 The initial design for interchange bridges at Onne Junction is to be substituted with a flyover bridge due to space constraints caused by the newly constructed Power Sub-Station which cannot be relocated due to higher cost implication interchange bridge initially designed for Refinery Junction
 New flyover bridge has been designed for Akpajo intersection (Km. 4+975)

The scope of works include and not limited to; Widening the road from 2-lane dual carriage to a 3-lane dual carriageway; Increasing the thickness of the asphalt layer; Constructing interchange bridges at Refinery and Onne Port Junction to smoothen traffic flow; Constructing a new 51m long Reinforced concrete bridge on Port Harcourt- bound carriageway at Aleto; Construction of a 128m and 168m long deck-on-pile bridges at Km.59+500 and Km.61+000.

He further stated that due to poor annual budgetary provisions, the contract for upgrading of Section IIIA awarded in 2014 could not commence until the Ministry paid the contractors the full mobilization Advance in 2020. The condition of the road deteriorated during the period of delay and there has been serious encroachment on the right-of-way initially delineated for the road.

The Minister informed that the Ministry has proposed an extra-budgetary intervention for inclusion of the East-West Road Sections I-IV in the 2021 SUKUK Issuance Programme of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning
and the Debt Management Office, this is part of the efforts made by the Ministry to access adequate funding for the completion of the East-West road project.

It is in pursuance of this objective that the Ministry stepped down 345 projects and committed N10 billion in the current 2022 budget lwhile Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) made provision of 10 billion in the 2020 annual budget and another N25 billion in 2021 budget to impact positively on the rate of progress of work on the East-West road he stressed.

The Minister therefore urged the Ogoni Youths, relevant stakeholders and Niger Deltans “to exercise patience with us as the Ministry is committed to bringing succour to the People of the Niger Delta”.