The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs has knocked the Federal Government for allocating N15bn to the East West Road project.
Speaking, the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Essien Ayi (PDP-Cross River) said tha the government has been coonstructin the East West road for over 14 .
“We just finished with EndSARS, we know what happened, the whole of my state capital everywhere was turned upside down.
“The kind of devastation that I saw there, it would have taken us about 10 years back.
“If the budget is youth-oriented, then why are we going to use N15 billion for East West road.
“I listened to the news where the Senate President warned that we should be careful that if this thing resurfaces again it is going to be very devastating.
“So, minister, we have about 300 or more projects in Niger Delta. So, how are you going to allocate the money to these kinds of projects, it’s not possible, we will not do it,” he said.
Also reacting, Rep. Edim Eta (PDP-Cross River) said that budgeting N15 billion for East West Road and N4 billion for other projects in the Niger Delta is titatot unfaai considering the importance of the road..
He added the bulk of the funding that is coming in 2021 should go to youth programmes.
“We all witnessed the EndSARS protest, all these were from frustrations of staying at home from ASUU strike, unemployment.
“So can only N4 billion out of the total budget of Niger Delta go to those projects.
“I do not think that is a good idea; if the East West road has been taken from the sovereign wealth fund, then the provision for that 15 billion should have been done separately to cover that,” he said.
In his reeaction, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, said that his plan is to deliver a road that would last,.
“So, I have a lot hope I will deliver same in the Niger Delta. So we will provide for you the details of designs and all.
“I have not allowed any single variation, because I have not seen the kind of quality of work, I would have loved to see.
“There was one that entered into Federal Executive Council and I had to step it down.
“I have not yet presented a single variation, let them do the original work so that we see, because this thing has taken too long.
“From 2006 up till date, when I was not part of government, I used to think that the road was over priced, but now that I am part of government, I think it was adequately priced.
“It is just that the aggregate has gone up in terms of materials,” he said
