Without proper management, investment in East-West road a huge waste ― Akpabio

TRACKING____The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has said that the benefit of the huge investment on the construction of the East-West road may not translate to lasting returns unless proper management structures are put in place to guarantee that all parties play their roles effectively.

Akpabio gave this warning at a stakeholders meeting convened to evolve an enduring platform for the planning, development and management of the East-West Road Corridor in Warri, Delta State.

Represented by the Director of Housing and Urban Development, Engr Okereafor Patrick, the Minister noted that the Federal Government was pushing hard for the completion of the East-West road.

The Minister said the sole purpose of the meeting was to ensure the collective appreciation of the task ahead and to have firsthand knowledge of the entire corridor which spans a total length of about 361Km across five States of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.

Akpabio explained that the Road Corridor is presently a dual carriageway with a total of four lanes, adding that at the end of the technical meeting and the tour which will last two days with a wrap-up in Uyo, the attendees will appreciate the essence of the road tour.

His words: “I am certain that we shall all be clear and lucid about the content of our collective task, the challenges and the importance of our commitment to this cause.”

He urged all stakeholders to gear up and demonstrate commitment towards the completion of the road and commended the Delta State Government for assisting in the organization of the meeting.

In his remarks, the representative of the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Olorogun Akpowowo, Commissioner of Urban Renewal Delta State said as one of the focal persons of the counterpart team, will ensure that Delta State cooperates with Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) to actualize the success of the East-West road corridor.

The Director Urban Development (UD) MNDA, Olufemi Oloruntola in his presentation on complementary programmes for East-West Road said the objective is to heighten their resolve for action and lay the foundation for the consensus among stakeholders.

According to him “the East-West road is a highway that carries heavy traffic which includes volatile and dangerous cargos which had resulted in traffic jams and clogs, damage to the road, disruption of economic activities, insecurity, trauma and increased maintenance cost as well as the loss of revenue to the Government, adding that the locations for immediate action were Ughelli, Patani, Elele, Port Harcourt, and Eket.

Speaking further, Oloruntola said that the complementary programmes are proposed to protect the corridor and guarantee its Return on Investment (ROI) on a long-lasting basis.

In his words, “The idea is for the MNDA to take proactive steps early to establish approved access and exit points in conjunction with the relevant state and local authorities, especially the Local Planning Authorities along the corridor.

“Their respective physical plans will integrate into these points. The essence is to implement mitigation actions to control and manage access and provide for the seamless influx and exit of traffic at agreed, designated and approved locations only and thus eliminate corridor clogs.”