Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged the Senate ad hoc committee on East West Road and Eleme-Ogoni Corridor to commence reconstruction work to end intractable sufferings by its users.

Fubara gave the charge when members of the Senate ad hoc committee, led by its Chairman, Abdul Ningi Ahmed, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

The Guardian gathered that the road, which leads to Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, Port Harcourt Refinery, Indorama and over 200 other companies, further deteriorated during the rainy season.

This, it was learnt, was after remedial work was done on it last year, following the protest by Ogoni youths, when the road was barricaded for seven days.

Addressing committee members, Fubara wondered why despite years of deductions from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) by the Federal Government to fund critical national projects, the road was never captured and funded, especially when it led to locations where essential national economic assets were located.

According to him, the most deplorable sections are not even more than 20 kilometres from Eleme Junction Interchange Bridge into Ogoni land, which he believes is not too expensive for the Federal Government to handle.

Taking them on a visit to the failed portions of the road, Fubara told the committee members not to end their activities with only field assessment, conducting public hearing and submission of reports, but to ensure commencement and completion of reconstruction work.

“We have always complained about the dilapidated state of the East-West Road, especially the Eleme Junction to Onne end of the road, but nothing has happened. It is a Federal road, but it is my people that are suffering. So, I want to appeal to you that it should not just be a public hearing or a question of how much was paid and not paid. You should move far from talking to making actual commitment.”

Chairman of the committee informed the governor that their visit was predicated on a motion adopted by the Senate concerning the road, and they are physically assessing its current condition with a public hearing to come later, which will assist in its reconstruction of the road.