Niger Delta Minister, Uguru Usani Uguru has regretted that the east-west road, on which over N300 Billion has been sunk in the last 10 years, was designed to fail by the previous governments.
“The east west road is a project that has been messed up from inception, naturally designed to fail by all the agreements and designed concepts that we have seen.”
Uguru, who addressed news men today, Wednesday, shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that the N16 billion approved for the NNDC’s project should not be compared to the east went road project.
“Some times when questions or concerns comes from the public, you provoke our thoughts to get back to our sense of history.”
He said that what Muhammadu Buhari government is doing now is simply to put things in order so that Nigerians would begin to see the terminal point of that projects.
“The project started more than a decade ago and in 24 months we have made the progress we have made on that project, correcting even the construction deficits in the area. I think you should be able to appreciate what we are doing.
“One, you talk of N16 billion as if it is so relevant in completing the east west road. I wish to tell you that the outstanding certificate on the east west road amount to N30 billion. So if we put N16 billion there, in fact, one and the other are not substitutes. Two of them are essential infrastructure projects that must go on, so it doesn’t mean that if we put that money on the east west road then it will satisfy the needs of housing the NDDC.”
Uguru stressed that the Niger Delta region has a prime position in the preference of Buhari’s government to develop the area.
“And so, there are no substitutes. So even if we are not going to do the NDDC headquarters, it doesn’t mean we will complete the east west road. They are all important and I want you to get that into your mind.”[myad]
