EAST-WEST ROAD PROJECT; NIGER DELTA MINISTER SEEKS FOR MORE BUDGETARY ALLOCATION

In order to ensure that adequate budgetary allocations are provided for projects under his Ministry, the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani has expressed his Ministry's readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Pastor Usani stated this while at a meeting with the Managing Director of Reynolds Construction Company, RCC Nigeria Limited, Mr. Moussa Nakhla in Abuja.

According to Pastor Usani Nguru Usani in a statement signed by the Director of Press, Marshal Gandu, "he was working in collaboration with the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma to ensure more budgetary allocation for the East-West Road project".

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs who is obviously bothered about the deplorable state of the 15 kilometre Eleme to Onne Port Junction section of the East-West Road, appealed to the Management of Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) Nigeria Limited for quick intervention to fix the bad parts of the road.

He said the call was necessitated by the reports he was getting on the deplorable condition of the road. He added that the intervention was to cushion the suffering of road users.

In his words: “I was in Rivers State last week and the people were anxious about the condition of the road.  The Managing Director of NDDC has promised a quick intervention on the said road”, the MNDA Minister reiterated.

Pastor Nguru Usani sought to know what RCC would be able to do as a matter of urgency because that section of the East-West road has been receiving public outcry for some time now.

Managing Director of RCC in his remarks, expressed the 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.

Moussa Nakhla 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 quick intervention to fix the failing portions of the said road, the Minister disclosed that a tripartite meeting of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) Nigeria Limited would be held soon.

In attendance at the meeting were the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Prof. Claudius Omoleye Daramola, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Moses Okpo and other Management staff.