Reps question N15bn fresh allocation for East-West Road project

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta on Tuesday opposed some allocations contained in the proposed 2021 budget of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The members raised the objections when the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, presented the 2020 budget performance and the proposed 2021 budget estimates on Tuesday.

• Paucity of funds may derail Buhari’s vision for Niger Delta — Akpabio
• Senate panel kicks as Justice ministry budgets N2bn for prosecution of Boko Haram, others

The details of the 2021 budget proposal presented by the minister indicated that of the N19 billion proposed capital expenditure of the ministry, N15 billion was allocated to the East-West Road, leaving only N4billion for other projects across the Niger Delta region.

The East-West Road contract was awarded in 2006.

It stretched through the nine oil producing states in the south-south and south-east regions which include Abia, Imo, Edo, Delta, Ondo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers.

Akpabio said N423bn had so far been spent on the road since inception as Akpabio disclosed promising that, the road will be delivered with excellent quality.

The chairman of the committee, Essien Ayi, said: “East-West Road has been there for over 14 years. 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 ten 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’s going to be very devastating.

“So minister, we have about three hundred and something projects in Niger Delta, how are you going to allocate the money to this kind of project, it’s not possible. We will not do it.”? He asked.

The committee therefore demanded the details of the road design and payments so far.

In his response, Akpabio said he would deliver the East-West Road project as a lasting road infrastructure and a legacy to the people of Niger Delta region.