Reps decry N349b East West road neglect, seek alternative funding

• Committee laments state of infrastructure in judiciary
The House of Representatives yesterday lamented the abandonment of East West road, which traverses states of South South region of the country.

In a motion by Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers) and 18 others, the lawmakers accused the Federal Government of neglecting the road contract, which ought to serve the socio-economic and commercial needs of the people, eleven years after the contract was awarded.

They said when it seemed that the N349.87 billion for the contract would be inadequate, ‘the government in 2014 approved a further N165.2 billion for its completion, but has, so far, achieved only 90 per cent partial completion of the 86.4 kilometres Warri -Kaiama section one in Delta/Bayelsa State.

Apiafi said, there is need to further seek alternative source of funding the road project.

The House has also set up an ad-hoc panel to investigate the distribution of MOJEC prepaid metres to electricity users around the country by Distribution Companies (DISCOs).

Meanwhile, the Committee on National Judiciary of the House of Representatives has decried the conditions under which judges and judicial workers operate as deplorable and unacceptable.

Chairman, Aminu Shagari, stated this yesterday when the committee visited the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court as part of their oversight function.

Shagari said his committee would ensure that the working environment both for judges and lawyers is made to be conducive.

The committee chairman also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appropriating the sum of N100 billion for the judiciary in the 2018 budget, which he said has been the main reason why judiciary has not been functioning optimally in the past.

According to him, it is getting better, but we are still not where we ought to be.