Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed grave concerns over the deteriorating condition of the East-West Road, urging the federal government to take immediate action. Speaking at the 2024 Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt, Governor Diri acknowledged the federal government’s efforts in initiating the Coastal Highway project from Lagos to Calabar but emphasised the urgent need for similar attention to be paid to the East-West Road.
“Let me also use the opportunity to appreciate the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for prioritising the Niger Delta by appointing a board on time and a management team on time,” Diri remarked. He further extended gratitude for the construction of the coastal road but stressed the necessity of starting work on the Calabar axis simultaneously with the Lagos section.
Governor Diri highlighted the drastic increase in travel time between Yenagoa and Port Harcourt due to the road’s poor condition. “For those of us who even come with a convoy, in one hour, you are in Port Harcourt. But today, I traveled four hours between Yenagoa and Port Harcourt; our people are suffering. That road has collapsed. So while we appreciate Mr President for the coastal road, there is a need to immediately go into the East-West road,” he stated.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, also present at the summit, reiterated the need for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to align with the Presidential Renewed Hope Agenda. He recounted the challenges faced during his tenure as Minister of the Niger Delta, particularly the controversial transfer of the East-West Road project to the Ministry of Works, which hindered its completion due to budgetary constraints.
In his opening address, former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan pointed out that political interference has significantly hampered the NDDC’s ability to fulfil its mandate. He reflected on the initial leadership of the NDDC, which showed promise but was subsequently bogged down by political meddling, leading to a slowdown in its activities and diminishing its impact on the region.
Dr. Jonathan noted, “The first leadership of NDDC led by Onyema Ugochukwu as the chairman of the board and Chief Timi Alaibe, who was the Executive Director, Finance and Administration and later became the Managing Director, showed some clear leadership. It appeared as if the Niger Delta was moving in some direction, but after that leadership, we politicians took over the NDDC, and their progress was slowed down.”
The summit underscored the pressing need for cohesive and sustained efforts to address the infrastructural challenges in the Niger Delta, advocating for strategic collaborations and less political interference to realise the region’s developmental goals.
