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The Delta State Government has stated
that it will intervene on the failed sections of the Warri-Sapele-Benin road to
reduce the sufferings of road users on the highway.
Commissioner for Works Chief James
Augoye and his Information counterpart Mr Charles Aniagwu stated this Wednesday
at Okuvo, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State while conducting
journalists round the failed sections on the road.
The Works Commissioner noted that
although the road is a Federal Road, Deltans and other Nigerians depend on the
road to earn a living for themselves.
He said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was
disturbed by the sufferings of the people who ply the road and decries the loss
of man hour and productive time on the road.
“This Warri Sapele Benin road is
a Federal Highway and as a state we actually did palliatives works on some
portions of the road before now and the parts we intervened on are still very
solid till today, what we are doing here is to look at the possibility of the
state government intervening.
“The work here is not just
maintenance or rehabilitation, it requires total reconstruction because the mud
here is very clayed and it needs to be excavated to the soil base and refilled
with sharp stand to make it solid so there is much work to be done here.
“Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has
directed that we visit the site and see the possible way of intervention by the
state government to free the masses from the sufferings on the road.
On his part, Commissioner for
Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu said the state government was intervening
because Deltans and Nigerians use the road irrespective of where they are from,
because what they are going through on account of the deplorable condition of
the road.
“You have seen it by yourself
that it is in a very bad condition and we are pained so it doesn’t just have to
be Deltans that pass through here for us to be disturbed, we are disturbed
because what is happening here affects not just the economy of the state and
the nation.
“The Commissioner for Works has
made it very very that we are going to start work in earnest but we have to
plead with the Federal Government to assist us in taking care of these Federal
roads because it is digging very deep into our pockets as a state and the more
they assist us the better for us and the better for other Nigerians that are
making use of these roads,” he added
The duo had earlier inspected work at
the ongoing construction of the Ughelli Asaba Federal highway and appealed to
the Federal Government to reimburse the State Government for previous
interventions so that such funds can be deployed to other needs.
“As you can see it is taking us
several billions to ensure that these roads are put to motorable condition. It
is costing the State Government several billions to carry out these
interventions and of course you know there are a lot of needs and other
challenges that are within the direct responsibility of the State Government
that requires attention but here we are investing huge sums of money to address
these Federal roads because we believe that leaving it unattended will lead to
untold hardship for our people.
“We are equally using this
opportunity of this inspection to plead with the Federal Government to
reimburse the State Government with what it has spent before on previous
interventions so that we can deploy the funds to other important needs.
“The Commissioner for Works had
earlier hinted that the 47.8km Section A alone is costing the State Government
over N19bn and you know what that kind of money can do for us as a state,”
he said
“Governor Okowa is seriously
troubled that all the Federal roads in the state are in terrible conditions, he
is disturbed by the hectic traffic at the Head bridge leading into Onitsha in
Anambra state, you will recall that at one time we wrote to the Federal
Government to allow us fix that road, but they declined on the ground that they
have engaged a contractor to address the failed sections of the road.
“The Asaba Benin stretch of the
road has also become a nightmare and even our decision to remediate part of the
Agbor Eku road is just a palliative as that road requires total reconstruction.
So you can understand now why we are pleading with the Federal Government to
expedite action on these roads.
“The fact is that beyond the
hardship faced by commuters its effect on the economy is incalculable.” he
said