ABUJA – The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Rep. Warman Ogoriba (PDP-Bayelsa), said on Sunday in Abuja, that about N70 billion would be needed to complete the East- West road.
Ogoriba told newsmen that work on the road had suffered some setbacks because of paucity of funds and the difficult terrain.
He also said that the annual budgetary allocation for the project was inadequate to execute it at the required speed.
Ogoriba, however, said that the intervention of Ministries of Niger Delta and Finance who secured loan from African Development (ADB) Bank boosted the project.
The lawmaker added that the project also received support from SURE-P.
“With 2015 budgetary allocation, SURE-P contribution and the ADB funds, I doubt if by the end of 2015, the East-West road will not be completed.’’
Ogoriba explained that apart from other sections of the work which had attained 80 per cent, “only section 2.2 in Bayelsa area is a major challenge with 60 per cent completion.’’
He blamed the slow pace of work on section 2.2 on the effect of militancy which forced the earlier contractors, Julius Berger to quit.
The work is currently handled by Setraco.
Ogoriba pointed out that the depth needed to be filled in the 2.2 was high.
“So they found it difficult to fill the road, but as at today, they have done about 80 per cent of the filling of the road, and because it is a road after filling you need to wait for a while before asphalt.
“And I think that during the dry season of this year, Setraco will go and start asphalt and I think that before the end of this year all aspects of the road will hit about 70 or 75 per cent,’’ he added.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Steve Oru in a recent interaction with the committee said that the road was awarded in four sections to three contractors and scheduled for substantial completion by the end of 2014.
He promised that progress of work would be much higher in the dry months ahead.
“Out of the total length of 676 km (338X2) carriage way, about 535.13 km of earthworks, 470.32 km of asphaltic binder course and 398.36km of wearing course have been completed to date.
“Also completed are 921 culverts out of the 1013 numbers.
“Thirty seven bridges have been substantially completed out of the 41 bridges which include the second Imo River Bridge (850M long) and Okoso bridges (288m long) in the zone,’’ Oru said.
He said that the ministry planned to extend the East-West road from Oron in Akwa Ibom to Calabar, Cross River.
He said this was to enhance the full potential of the entire East-West corridor from Warri (Effurun) in Delta to Oron Akwa Ibom. (NAN)