By Francesca Hangeior.
The Federal Government has announced that it is deploying reinforced concrete technology on the long-delayed East-West road, which spans the South-south region of Nigeria.
This move comes after threats of protests from the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People and former agitators in the Niger Delta over the uncompleted axis of the road.
In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Works, David Umahi’s spokesman, Uchenna Orji stated that the government is committed to ensuring that segments of the road do not fail again.
He explained that the use of reinforced concrete technology would end pavement failures and years of infrastructural neglect on the highway.
MOSOP, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Imeabe Saviour, said the non-completion of the road had led to a series of accidents, resulting in loss of lives.
The group earlier in July said, “It is worrisome to mention that despite the substantial revenue generated within the Ogoni ethnic nationality, the stretch of the East-West road in our area has remained in its worst state, dilapidated and a nightmare to travellers and a death trap to the Ogoni people.
“It suffices to state that the East-West road, hyped as completed, still stands as an abandoned project today.”
Umahi over the last weekend, visited sections of the road, including the Kaiama-Ahoada section in Rivers/Bayelsa states, and commended the contractors handling the relief culverts for their commitment to the intervention.
He also lauded the quality of work being done on the kilometre 15 section 3A of the East-West Road.
The minister assured that a permanent solution is underway, with the project being procured to raise the road above the flood level, while reinforced concrete of 12 inches will be used to do the overlay.
“We are encouraging many more local contractors to come and work because there’s so much to work.”
“And so our directive is that the contractor shouldn’t open more relief culverts. Let us contain the floods by working with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),” he added
He also urged patience from road users, stating that the project is expected to be completed by December.
The government’s move to fortify the road is seen as a step in the right direction towards addressing the infrastructure deficits in the region.