Wike tasks FG on deplorable East-West Road

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has expressed hope that the Federal Government will rehabilitate the deplorable East-West Road.The Eleme-Onne stretch of the road has remained in a deplorable state despite protests by Ogoni youths and Civil Society Organisations.

To remedy the situation, Wike said his administration deliberately constructed new roads through Woji and Eleme towns into Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone to encourage industrial activities and boost Rivers economy.

Wike spoke, yesterday, at the flag-off of reconstruction work on the 7.2 kilometres Alode-Onne Road and three kilometres internal roads, which were performed by Donald Duke, former Governor of Cross River State in Alode town of Eleme Council.

Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said: “This is the economic hub of the state. Therefore, everything must be done to make sure more economic activities are attracted here. Opening all these roads will, of course, give the companies the hope that one day, the Federal Government will remember the East-West Road.”

The governor said Eleme Council serves as the economic hub of Rivers State and that everything is being done to attract more investors while encouraging already existing ones.

Performing the flag-off, Duke observed that despite heightening political activities, Wike had not abdicated governance. He regretted that in Nigeria, critical roads to connect seaports to industrial companies are not constructed and maintained. Such bad culture, he pointed out, frustrates evacuation of goods to markets and for export, thereby making the county to lose massive revenue.

“Unfortunately, there’s complete disregard for critical sectors of our economy. That you cannot have ingress or egress in and out of Eleme is a sad thing to say. Ordinarily, this should be a national concern. You can’t cut your nose to spite your face. This is what Nigeria does all the time,” he lamented.