Complete East-West road from SWF - Wike to fed govt

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has advised the Federal Government to include the East–West Road among  critical  projects being funded from the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).

Wike also condemned the Federal Government’s directive stopping states from rehabilitating failed federal roads, saying it was inimical to effective development, management and maintenance of road infrastructure across the country.

The governor spoke yesterday at the 26th meeting of the National Council on Works in Port Harcourt with the theme:”Infrastructure Development, Job Creation and National Economic Growth”,

Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said he believes that  the inclusion of the East-West Road among SWF-funded projects would lead to its completion in 2022.

The governor said that the theme of the meeting was apt considering that road infrastructure plays a critical role in economic development, poverty reduction and inclusive progress.

He pointed out  that the East – West Road was too important to the economic prosperity of the Southsouth  and the nation in general but regretted that it had been under construction for over 15 years .

The governor observed that the Federal Government seemed overwhelmed with the construction and provision of many roads across the country.

He suggested that it would be better for the Federal Government to complete most of the ongoing road projects before embarking on new ones.

Wike also advised the government to reconsider the directive stopping states’ intervention in federal road repairs.

“It makes progressive sense as a development strategy therefore, for state governments to reconstruct such federal roads with reputable contractors on behalf of the Federal Government and get refunded after due verification of the price and quality of work done.

“The federal and state governments need to consult and collaborate regularly to accelerate the delivery of road infrastructure to advance and realise the hopes and aspirations of our people for development and decent living.”

Wike explained that his government was presently constructing six flyovers at  the Port Harcourt – Aba Expressway, a federal road, to ease perennial traffic congestions at its intersections.

“Let me therefore, appeal to the Federal Government to continue to collaborate with  state governments on road development by allowing states to fix federal roads with the assurance of a refund,” he said.

The governor added that his administration had consistently dedicated over 65 per cent of the state’s  budget annually for the construction of new roads, reconstruction and maintenance of existing roads across the state.

He said: “The result is the unprecedented delivery of close to 900 kilometres of roads, bridges and flyovers spread across the length and breadth of the State, including some of the far-flung communities that have now been linked by roads for the first time.”