FG releases N20Billion for East-West road

The Federal Government has released 20 billion naira for the completion of the East-West Road Project. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA), Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON, who disclosed this during a meeting with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Federal Ministry of Finance and the Contractors handling Section I-IV of the East-West Road Project, mandated the contractors to return to site. Akpabio said contract for the road was awarded in 2006, but paucity of funds, stalled the project.

Akpabio said: “The project which was first awarded in 2006 was scheduled for completion by the end of 2010, but this could not be achieved due to inadequate funding. The physical progress of the East-West Road when the project was transferred to the newly created Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in 2008 was just 8% of work done by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. However, additional funding received between 2012 and 2015 from the African Development Bank (AFDB) and Subsidy Reinvestment and Development Programme (SURE-P) enabled the completion of two Sections which are now ready for commissioning. The outstanding Sections and recently awarded upgrade contracts were rescheduled for completion by 2020.”

‘’The overall project achievement stands at an average of 76% of the total 676km (338×2) carriageway for Section I-IV, a total of 611.05km of earthworks, 584.60km of asphaltic binder course, and 523.75km of wearing course, 1143 no. of culverts and a total of 41nos. bridges (total length of 5,483m) with the second 850m Imo River Bridge, Okoso, Mbiama, Patani-Eket and Kaima Bridges have been substantially completed as at March 2019.” Akpabio added.