East-West Road: FG Suspends Reconstruction on Eleme Section

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, has ordered the immediate stoppage of the ongoing reconstruction of the Eleme section of the East-West road in Rivers State over the alleged sharp practices of the contractor handling the project.

Mr Umahi gave the order during a project inspection of the East-West road in Port-Harcourt on Saturday.

The Minister, who was accompanied by Mr Barry Mpigi, the Senator representing Rivers South-East, further said the project should stop pending when some irregularities he observed in the project are resolved.

He revealed that the contractor, Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), had been paid N33 billion and the Federal Ministry of Works under his watch will not tolerate any attempt to shortchange the country.

Recall that last year, the federal government mobilized RCC to start construction on the road right away.

However, during the Minister’s project inspection of the East-West Road in Port Harcourt on Saturday, January 27, works were ordered to be suspended.

The Minister disclosed that RCC has received N33 billion, and he said that any attempt to undervalue the nation will not be tolerated by the Federal Ministry of Works, which is under his direction.

Mr Umahi had in September 2023, disclosed that the federal government has committed N33 billion to the contractor to commence work on the Eleme-Onne section of the East-West Road in Rivers State, explaining that the project became a necessary mandate after Rivers State Governor, Mr Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, visited the president on the matter.

Meanwhile, the Minister had also in September passed a vote of no confidence on the construction work done on the East-West Road in Bayelsa/Rivers states in the Niger Delta region of the country.

Mr Umahi pointed out the poor construction job being done on the road, put a stop to the work, and called for a review of the road plan.

He insisted that Nigerians must get a value for the billions of naira spent on the job.