ABUJA—THE Senate has commenced
investigation into the 675km dual-carriageway
East-West Road which has gulped N726 billion
and is yet to be completed.
The Senate also urged the Federal Roads
Maintenance Agency, FERMA and Niger Delta
Development Commission, NDDC, to intervene in
the rehabilitation and directed the Ministry of
Niger Delta to ensure the completion of the East/
West Road particularly the section that links the
multi-national investment within the 2017 budget
year.

It also mandated its Committee on Niger Delta to
investigate the contract and report back within
four weeks.
According to the Senate, the abandonment has
disrupted economic activities in the country,
noting that the road project was awarded by
former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 at
the value of N211 billion, but the project could
not commence in 2007 as arranged because it
was not included in the 2007 Appropriation Act,
adding that during the late former President
Umaru Yar’Adua, nothing much was achieved as
a result of lack of engineering drawings for the
project .

The senators have, meanwhile, said that former
President Goodluck Jonathan after the production
of engineering drawings revalidated the contract
sum from N211 billion to N726 billion and
rewarded same to several contractors in sections
1-V.
The resolutions of the Senate were sequel it a
motion by Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers
East) and co- sponsored by 23 other senators.
According to him, the East-West Road links other
parts of the country to multi-billion and multi-
national investments including Port Harcourt
Refinery 1 and 2, Indorama Petrochemicals,
Notoire Fertilizer Company, NAFCON, federal
ocean terminal 1 and 2, Onne/Ikpokiri Oil and Gas
Free Zone, as well as the Nigeria Naval College
among others.

He said that thousands of heavy duty vehicles ply
the section of Aba/Eleme Road Junction to Onne
Road on daily basis.
He expressed worry that a portion road that is
less than seven kilometers stretch which is the
bad section could delay a traveller for more than
four hours.

Speaking in the same vein, Senators James
Manager, PDP! Delta South and Magnus Abe,
APC, Rivers South East said that was
unimaginable how such a major road would be
abandoned to cause hardship to the people,
wondering that no budgetary allocation was made
in 2017 Appropriation Law on the completion of
work on the road.
Also in his remarks, Senator Kabiru Marafa,
APC,Zamfara Central added a prayer that the
Senate should investigate the award of the
contract, just as Senator Magnus Abe who
seconded the additional prayer, stressed the need
for the Niger Delta Development Commission,
NDDC to be commended for road construction in
the area and asked that the Senate do investigate
the award of the contract under review.

On his part, Senator John Enoh, APC, Cross River
Central said that the Executive branch should
explore alternative funding arrangement to
complete the project, just as Senator Clifford
Ordia, PDP, Edo Central supported Enoh, saying
that the Executive branch should explore
alternative funding to complete the project.

CC LALASTICLALA
CC MYND44


www.vanguardngr.com/2017/07/senate-probes-n726bn-e-west-road-awarded-obasanjo-jonathan/

nawaoo

Mynd44:
https://www.nairaland.com/3903541/obasanjo-jonathan-probe-over-east

Front page pls.

Thieves.
One road costs 726 billion .
This is why bad things happen to politicians.
Karma will get y'all.

Why is it that everything about Goatluck Jonaddaft and Olusegun Obasanjo is stealing, looting and sharing? Why?

Physician heal thyself. We like wasting Time over irrelevancies. So let us start the Probe of all our Senators, House of Rep. and Houses of Assemblies Members, the Ministers and Commissioners now.
Our Military arrogated the Sourcing and Applications of Funds centrally to enable them control the States. Shagari, Obasanjo, Yaradua and Jonathan just continued the Policy. And their NASS, State Assemblies, Ministers and Commissiomers who should have agitated and joined the Presidents and Governors to change the Policy just continued in the rot.
And now that we are forcing them to return Full Autonomy to the States, they suddenly shine eyes to discover a fertile avenue for Corruption is eluding them. They now want to cause Catastrophe.