East-West Road communities commend NDDC

Indigenes of Umeh community in Isoko South Council of Delta State and Okobe in Ahoada Council of Rivers State have lauded the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for repairing damaged sections of the East West Road.

This is contained in a statement by the Commission, signed by Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, the Director in charge of Corporate Affairs. The statement quoted an interview at the Umeh section of the road, near Patani, granted by an indigene of the community, Mr Alex Ifure, who said that the quick intervention of NDDC was the saving grace for his people and commuters, who had suffered for weeks on account of the devastation caused by the flood.

He expressed satisfaction with the restoration work being done by the construction company engaged by the NDDC to carry out emergency repairs on the road, which, he noted, was their only link to Bayelsa and other Niger Delta states.

He lamented that, apart from the road, the flood also destroyed their farms, leaving the farmers with nothing to take to the markets to sell and feed themselves. “Look at our market, it is scanty because our people have lost their crops to the flood.”

Also speaking, the Umeh Market Master, Emmanuel Ogberiegbe, said if NDDC had not come to their rescue, many people would have died of hunger because the people were predominantly farmers.

At Okobe community in Ahoada East Council, the traditional ruler of Igbuduya Kingdom, Eze Ikaki Ikaki, said his people were all happy that the NDDC intervened to ease their pains from the devastation caused by the flood.

He said: “This is what we expected, I say kudos to NDDC and the Federal Government. We also expect the Commission and the various levels of government to engage us in discussions to work out a lasting solution to the perennial flood.”

A motorist interviewed at the repaired section at Okobe, Inyang Victor, appealed to the Federal Government to look for a lasting solution to the flood problem, which, he said, was taking a huge toll on the lives of the people in the affected communities.

Speaking in the same vein, a commuter from Bayelsa State, Mrs. Esther Austin, said she was pleasantly surprised at the quick intervention of the NDDC in the wake of the collapse of the East-West Road at several points.

The Project Manager of SETRACO, Michel Issa, said the company had worked round the clock to ensure that the road was motorable.

“We mobilised our equipment to the very bad sections as soon as NDDC engaged us. We have successfully restored the very bad sections of the road.”