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RCC Blamed for Snail Pace Work on East-West Road as Dutch Drown Escaping from Bandits
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Reynolds Construction Company of Nigeria, RCC has been handling the over 1,000 kilometre road project, stretching from Akwa Ibom to Lagos, and criss-crossing four other states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Edo.
With the completion of the Akwa Ibom section of the East-West road in 2023, the construction giant was expected to have completed the remaining aspects of the project, from the Onne junction down to Mbiama, Warri and Edo axis of the road late last year.
The latest incident happened last Monday night, at the Okulu-Aleto Bridge in the Eleme local government area of Rivers state, where a white Hilux vehicle belonging to the state government owned Cassava Project Limited, in an attempt to escape the pursuit by alleged kidnappers skidded off the uncomplicated bridge into the river with its occupants, believed to be company workers.
Following an intensive search by a combined team of the Navy, the Police and other specialist agencies, the lifeless body of Mr. Gibson Reuben, a Netherlands National and Managing Director of the Cassava factory and the Toyota White Hilux, have been recovered, about 24 hours after the incident.
The Southern Examiner gathered that immediately on receiving reports of the attack, culminating in the incident, the Chairman of Eleme local government area, Chief Brain Gokpa mobilised officials of the Navy and other rescue operations team as well security personnel in search of the vehicle and its occupants.
Reports say with over N33 billion already sunk into the project, it remains to be seen the extent to which the project had been executed, with travellers on the road being exposed to grave danger of Kidnappings and armed robbery.
Julius Berger Plc, which had initially pulled out of site due to incessant attacks and threats to the lives of their company workers, especially foreigners by Niger Delta militants, are said to have returned and handled parts of Delta, Edo down to the Lagos end of the East-West road project.
In recent times, following the snail-speed of the construction work, there have been increasing cases of accidents, armed robbery, and kidnappings on the Onne axis of the road, leading to Ogoni, as well as the Andoni and Opobo local government areas.
It was gathered that since the commencement of work on the reconstructed bridge, and considering the deplorable condition of the bridge head, kidnappers have turned the area to a death trap where their victims are Kidnapped and ferried away across the river to an unknown destination before asking for ransom from their families.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olugbenga Adepolu, with his team, rushed to the accident scene on Tuesday morning for an on the spot assessment of the situation, and immediately ordered an investigation into the incident with a view to bringing the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice.
The Southern Examiner reports that since his assumption of office in Port Harcourt as the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, the Eleme-White Hilux vehicle incident may appear to be his litmus test in his capability for tackling crimes in the state.
Mr. Adepolu who also mobilised the police rescue team to join in the search for the vehicle and the bodies of the occupants, spoke through his Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Grace Iringi-Koko, that the mobile police personnel attached to the foreigner, escaped alive.
Impressed by the proactive reaction of the Eleme Council chairmen towards the incident, the police commissioner was full of praise to him. It was learnt that the Netherlands National drove the Toyota White Hilux vehicle that plunged into the river.
Residents and travellers along the road linking the newly rebuilt Port Harcourt Refinery, the Onne Seaports, and other federal government facilities have bemoaned the deplorable condition of the Onne, Eleme axis of the East-West road.
Mr. Joseph Obele and Pastor Peter Hanco, both chairman and secretary of property owners along the Expressway, alleged that the delay in the completion of the East-West road was intentional and a clear display of incompetence, insisting that their action negates the terms of the contractual agreement on the project.
Besides, the property owners officials, who also hailed from Eleme, said the action of the construction giant was an act of sabotage to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, and urged the federal government to ensure the quick completion of the road.
Governor Similaiye Joseph Fubara of Rivers State yesterday reacted to the tragic incident involving an agricultural expert who was engaged by the state government to boost the state agricultural agenda.
The governor expressed worry that such an unfortunate development could still happen in the state at a time when everyone was concerned about the development and production of foodstuffs.
After observing a minute of silence in honour of the Netherlands National during the Armed forces’ remembrance day yesterday, the governor who was visibly pain by the death of Mr. Reuben, in an attempt to escape from kidnappers, announced that his administration would thoroughly investigate the incident.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday defended his administration’s decision to remove the Federal Capital Territory Administration from the Treasury Single Account, saying the policy has provided the financial flexibility needed to accelerate infrastructure development across Abuja.
The President also dismissed claims that the executive was interfering in the affairs of the judiciary through the provision of infrastructure, insisting that supporting the justice sector is a constitutional responsibility of government.
Tinubu spoke while inaugurating the new Office Annex of the Body of Benchers and 10 units of four-bedroom staff quarters at the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, Abuja.
He was represented at both events by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr George Akume.
Speaking on the decision to exempt the FCTA from the TSA, Tinubu said the move had enabled the administration to execute projects more efficiently by eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He said, “When we pulled the FCT Administration out of the Treasury Single Account, there were sceptics. There were those who questioned the wisdom of that financial liberation.
“But we did it because we knew that local administration must have the liquidity, the speed and the corporate flexibility to interface with financial institutions and deliver critical projects without bureaucratic strangulation. Today, the results are glaring.”
Tinubu said the visible transformation in the Federal Capital Territory had justified the policy, crediting the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for delivering on the administration’s development agenda.
“When I appointed Minister Wike, I gave him a clear mandate to transform Abuja into a modern, functional and world-class capital city.
“Over the last three years, the scale of infrastructural development, urban renewal and project delivery in the FCT has been unmatched,” he said.
The President also commended Wike for resolving the long-standing land documentation challenge facing the Nigerian Law School by facilitating the issuance of its Certificate of Occupancy after years without a formal title.
At the inauguration of the Body of Benchers’ Office Annex, Tinubu described the project as a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to strengthening the rule of law, democratic governance and institutional independence.
Responding to criticisms that the executive was encroaching on the independence of the judiciary by constructing facilities for the legal community, the President rejected the claim.
“Let me be absolutely clear: the provision of infrastructure for the legal community and the judiciary is not an interference in the independence of another arm of government.
“Rather, it is a constitutional and collaborative duty of the executive to ensure that those who interpret and uphold our laws are provided with an environment that fosters operational efficiency and excellence,”he said.
At the Nigerian Law School, Tinubu said quality infrastructure remained essential to producing competent legal professionals, stressing that the government was committed to improving learning and living conditions within the institution.
“We cannot build a world-class legal system with dilapidated infrastructure,” he said.
The President described the newly inaugurated staff quarters as the first phase of broader investments at the Law School, disclosing that the Federal Government was funding the construction of a new auditorium, additional student hostels and the digitisation of the institution’s academic and administrative operations.
He added that similar interventions were ongoing across the justice sector, including the construction of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, magistrates’ courts and residential quarters for judges.
According to him, the projects reflected the administration’s determination to strengthen institutions that sustain democracy rather than merely constructing physical infrastructure.
“We promised not just to govern, but to reform. We promised to rebuild the broken structures of our institutional foundations,” Tinubu said.
He maintained that the projects demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to translating its promises into measurable results through sustained investment in critical national institutions.
The Federal Government incurred an electricity tariff subsidy of N358.32 billion in the first quarter of 2026 as it continued to bridge the gap between cost-reflective electricity tariffs and the rates paid by consumers, according to the latest report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
In its First Quarter 2026 report released on Monday, NERC said the subsidy represented a 14.44 per cent decline from the N418.79 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Commission attributed the reduction mainly to lower electricity offtake by distribution companies (DisCos), rather than improvements in tariff recovery.
NERC explained that because electricity tariffs remain below cost-reflective levels, the Federal Government continues to subsidise the difference between the actual cost of power generation and the approved tariffs charged to consumers.
Under the current Distribution Companies’ Remittance Obligation (DRO) framework, the subsidy covers part of the generation costs payable by DisCos to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), while the Federal Ministry of Finance settles the outstanding balance.
According to the report, electricity generation companies invoiced a total of N689.72 billion for power supplied to the 11 electricity distribution companies during the quarter. However, only N331.40 billion was billed to the DisCos under the DRO arrangement, leaving the Federal Government to cover the remaining N358.32 billion.
NERC said the subsidy accounted for 51.95 per cent of the total generation invoice during the period, compared with 52.03 per cent in the preceding quarter.
“The key driver of this reduction in the Federal Government’s subsidy obligation is the decrease in energy offtake by the DisCos by 8.56 per cent between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026,” the Commission stated.
The report also showed that the 11 DisCos collected N597.56 billion out of the N756.93 billion billed to customers during the quarter, representing a collection efficiency of 78.95 per cent, slightly below the 79.36 per cent recorded in the previous quarter.
Among the distribution companies, Ikeja Electric recorded the highest collection efficiency at 90.0 per cent, followed by Eko DisCo with 89.64 per cent, Benin DisCo with 85.16 per cent, Port Harcourt DisCo with 81.22 per cent, and Abuja DisCo with 80.90 per cent.
Kaduna DisCo recorded the lowest collection efficiency at 45.81 per cent.
NERC noted that while Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt and Benin distribution companies improved their collection efficiencies compared with the previous quarter, the remaining six DisCos recorded declines, with Enugu DisCo posting the sharpest drop.
President Bola Tinubu is currently in a private meeting with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and former governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Monday meeting is taking place at a time of rising political tension in the North-Central state.
No official details have been released, as discussions are ongoing behind closed doors.
The engagement comes amid growing divisions within the Benue chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), where Governor Alia and allies of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, are reportedly struggling for control of the party structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
It also follows recent political shifts in the state, with Senator Suswam’s name surfacing after the APC senatorial primaries as a notable figure ahead of the next election cycle.
While it remains unconfirmed whether the state’s political crisis is on the agenda, the timing of the meeting has fueled speculation that the Presidency may be stepping in to calm tensions, reconcile rival blocs, and encourage unity among key political actors in the state.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not released any official statement on the outcome of the discussions.
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