Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani says his ministry would collaborate with the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma to ensure more budgetary allocation for the East-West Road project.
Usani made this known at a meeting with the Managing Director of Reynolds Construction Company, Mr. Moussa Nakhla in Abuja, on Thursday.
A statement from the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs signed by the Director of information, Marshall Gundu said: ‘Bothered about the deplorable state of the fifteen kilometer Eleme to Onne Port Junction section of the East-West Road, Pastor Usani appealed to the management of Reynolds Construction Company to quickly fix the bad parts of the road.’
The Minister said the call was necessitated by reports reaching him on the deplorable condition of the road adding that the intervention would cushion the difficulties being experienced by road users.
“I was in Rivers State last week and the people were anxious about the condition of the road. The Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission has promised to intervene,’ he said.
Mr. Moussa Nakhla expressed willingness of his company to start work on that part of the road if it was captured in the 2017 budget of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
Mr. Moussa said it was a waste of time and money to do a temporary work on a road that will spoil in no distant time. He called for more budgetary allocation from the Federal Government and prompt releases of funds to aid the completion of the East -West Road which has begun since the inception of the Ministry in 1999.
To fast track intervention, the Minister disclosed that a tripartite meeting of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Reynolds Construction Company would be held soon.
