The Rivers State Government has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency on some portions of the East West Road, especially the Akpabo-Eleme axis.
He said the road was “constituting a death trap and huge embarrassment to Nigeria.”
This call was made on Monday in Port Harcourt in a Statement issued by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah.
Okah said the East West Road, and the Akpajo-Eleme axis which leads directly to economic infrastructure like the OIl and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Indorama Petrochemical and fertilizer companies, Port Harcourt refinery, and Eleme refinery belonged to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Okah in the statment said, “Sadly, while other federal roads in the Country are receiving fair attention of the Federal Government, the East West Road has remained neglected, abandoned and left to further deteriorate.
“It was for the reason of acute dilapidation of the road that the Nyesom Wike administration together with some stakeholders made huge contributions to stabilise the portion of the road with the expectation that the Federal Government will take a cue from there.
“Unfortunately, and as it has been our lot in this administration, the Federal Government of Nigeria neither appreciated these patriotic efforts and sacrifices of the state government and the other contributors nor repaired the road.
“The East West Road has become a source of anguish to the people of Rivers State, and our lamentations have only fallen on deaf ears, noting that the deep decay of the road has resulted in huge loss of man hour, accidents involving trucks and attendant loss of property and human lives which could have been avoided by repairing this axis of the road”.
