By Adebisi Adeyemi, Lagos
The Rivers State Government has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency in the deeply failed portion of the East West Road especially the Akpabo-Eleme axis which has completely broken down and constituting a death trap and huge embarrassment to Nigeria.
This call was made today in Port Harcourt in a Statement issued by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Emma Okah.
According to Okah, the East West Road belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Akpajo-Eleme axis leads directly to critical economic infrastructure like the OIl and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Indorama Petrochemical and fertilizer companies, Port Harcourt refinery, Eleme refinery etc. Sadly, while other federal roads in the Country are receiving fair attention of the Federal Government, the East West Road has remained neglected, abandoned and left to further deteriorate.
Okah further said that it was for the reason of acute dilapidation of the road that the Nyesom Wike administration together with some stakeholders made huge contributions to stabilise the portion of the road with the expectation that the Federal Government will take a cue from there. Unfortunately, and as it has been our lot in this administration, the Federal Government of Nigeria neither appreciated these patriotic efforts and sacrifices of the state government and the other contributors nor repaired the road.
“The East West Road has become a source of anguish to the people of Rivers State, and our lamentations have only fallen on deaf ears, noting that the deep decay of the road has resulted in huge loss of man hour, accidents involving trucks and attendant loss of property and human lives which could have been avoided by repairing this axis of the road, Mr Okah said, hoping that this insensitivity on the part of the Federal Government of Nigeria will end soon.
For the records, the East West Road is the most economically strategic Road in the Niger Delta region.
