FG Says It’s Fortifying Work on Long-delayed East-West Road after Threats of Protests

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has said it is deploying the use of reinforced concrete technology on the long-delayed East-West road, which traverses the South-south part of the country, to ensure that segments of the road do not fail again.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, who spoke during an inspection of the project, explained that the government will give all regions the right environment to attain their full economic potential and guarantee a sense of self actualisation.

A statement in Abuja by the minister’s spokesman, Uchenna Orji, quoted Umahi as saying that he had introduced a more formidable measure of construction to end pavement failures and years of infrastructural neglect on the highway.

Umahi visited section II of the road, comprising Kaiama-Ahoada in Rivers/Bayelsa states as well as the construction of multiple box culverts at flood-damaged locations along the “dualisation” of the road.

The minister’s remarks came weeks after the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and former agitators in the Niger Delta threatened to embark on a protest over the uncompleted axis of the road.

MOSOP, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Imeabe Saviour, said the non-completion of the road had led to a series of accidents, resulting in loss of lives.

It stated earlier in July, “It is worrisome to mention that despite the substantial revenue generated within the Ogoni ethnic nationality, the stretch of the East-West road in our area has remained in its worst state, dilapidated and a nightmare to travellers and a death trap to the Ogoni people.

“It suffices to state that the East-West road, hyped as completed, still stands as an abandoned project today.”

Similarly, former agitators in the Niger Delta region threatened a massive protest over the deplorable state of the road. They alleged that the project had been abandoned, despite the fact that it led to critical national infrastructure, like the Onne port, the Port Harcourt Refinery, and Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Limited, among others.

But speaking after the inspection, Umahi said the federal government had redesigned the inherited project, using reinforced concrete technology to end the perennial pavement failures and years of road neglect across the wetland Niger Delta.

He said some sections of the road, starting from Lokoja to Benin, were also re-scoped and redesigned in reinforced concrete. He explained that the height of the road was increased above the flood level.

Umahi added that the redesign factored the peculiar environment, “geomorphology” and soil characteristics, which were responsible for the failures of flexible pavement used over the years by successive administrations.

On the Kaiama-Ahoada section, the minister said, “When we came on board, the job was already awarded by the past administration. And so the only new thing in all these locations under President Bola Tinubu is the relief culverts that these two local contractors are putting, and are proving themselves to be of a very high reputation in terms of their works.

“We are encouraging many more local contractors to come and work, because there’s so much to work.”

He observed that the effect of climate change was largely responsible for the flood that came over the two sections of the road, but commended the two contractors handling the relief culverts for their commitment to the intervention, despite not been paid.

“And so our directive is that the contractor shouldn’t open more relief culverts. Let us contain the floods by working with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),” he added.

Umahi lauded the contractors, who also did emergency works, even though it was outside their scope, and the 29 Battalion with other paramilitary outfits for the management of the traffic, which, he said, would continue for the next two to four weeks.

While asking for patience on the side of the road users, the minister assured that a permanent solution was underway, as the project was being procured to raise the road above the flood level, while reinforced concrete of 12 inches would be used to do the overlay.

He also visited the Kilometre 15 Section 3A of the East-West road (from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction) and commended the quality of work being done.

He, however, urged the contractor to re-mobilise at least in six sections of the project to ensure timely project delivery or be prepared to relinquish the other carriageway for award to another contractor.

The minister stated, “It is presidential order that this road should be given the maximum attention, and that’s why he asked me to come and look at it, and then give him a report. So we’re looking at December for project delivery, but certainly not at the pace that RCC is going.”

He said the administration was fixing all the inherited ongoing projects and backlogs of road infrastructure deficits nationwide as a result of many years of neglect.