Reps seek speedy completion of East West road

Members of House of Representatives have called for the provision of adequate funding for the East West road in the 2017 budget in the bid fast track the completion of the project.

To this end, the House mandated its Committee on Niger Delta to ensure compliance.

The resolution was passed following the adoption of the motion sponsored by Douye Diri (PDP-Bayelsa), who decried the economic losses caused by the prolonged delay in completion of the road project.

The sum of N725.771 billion was appropriated for the dualisation of the 338 kilometers East-West Road project between 2011 to 2015 by the immediate past administration, which traverses towns in Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta States.

The contract for the construction of the was first awarded in 2006 at the sum of N211 billion by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

While reacting to the undue delay of the project, Diri frowned at the lackadaisical attitude of the previous administrations towards the completion of the dualisatiin of the road projected to be completed with 10 year period.

According to him, “when the road is completed, it will enhance the programme of the Federal Government in diversifying the economy by creating easy access to the fertile lands of the region for agricultural production and also the vast untapped mineral deposits,” in the Niger Delta region.

He lamented that “the stalling of the construction project has adversely affected the easy movement of perishable goods in the region, thereby causing Economic loss and hardship to the people,” adding that the delay in the completion of the project has resulted to loss of lives through avoidable accidents, and taking heavy toll on the cost of maintaining vehicles that ply the road.