Fashola: Permanent Solution to Challenges on East-west Road Underway

Emmanuel Addeh

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has assured Nigerians that steps are being taken to provide a permanent solution to the perennial challenge of completing section 4 of the East-west road, measuring 15 kilometres from Onne Port junction to Eleme Port junction in Rivers State.

A statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Blessing Lere-Adams, said the minister gave the assurance during a meeting with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana in his office at the ministry’s headquarters in Mabushi, Abuja.

Due to public concerns, the Niger Delta  Affairs Ministry which handed over the supervision of the  road to the federal ministry of works and housing early this year had written to inform Fashola of its decision to do some remedial works on the road through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

However, the statement said that based on advice of directors from the ministry, who inspected the road last month and discovered that its cardinal problem is lack of drainage; Fashola decided that a permanent and holistic approach should be taken.

He noted that this was important so that the problem is put to rest; since without the drainage whatever work is done on the road will not last.

“Already request for additional funding to complete the work has been sent to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to obtain a Certificate of No Objection (approval) expeditiously so that the work can be complete,” the statement noted.