The Chairman of Eleme LGA, Obarilomate Ollor, has expressed total disgust at the pain and suffering the people of Eleme and other road users go through while using the Eleme axis of the East-West road following its nearly useable state.
Frowning at the attitude and the delay by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to adhere to the directive by the Federal government to release funds for the complete construction of the road, Ollor gave NNPCL two weeks ultimatum to release the funds for the road to be fixed or face the action of the people.
He said the road is at its worst state ever and has become a death trap and source of economic crisis for the citizenry following recent accidents and loss of workforce due to the gridlock experienced.
According to him, his efforts in making sure the road is fixed, including meeting the former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, led to the point where the immediate past administration gave final approval for the construction of the road during its FEC meeting and a further directive to NNPCL to fund the project through its tax credit scheme.
He said: “I am appealing to NNPCL to release the funds between now and the end of the month to avoid any action from the people; we want to see RCC mobilized to the site within the next two weeks; our people are suffering, dying, losing their jobs because gridlock, we cannot continue to keep quiet to see this happen in our place, we are not insensitive to our people’s plight, we want action taken quickly”.
He further disclosed that he has interfaced with RCC, which is the company to carry out the construction, and all they are waiting for is to be mobilized to the site.
He commended the Senator of Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Senator Barry Mpigi and the Member representing Eleme, Tai, Oyigbo in the House of Reps, Hon. Felix Nwaeke, who both brought the issue before the floor of the Red and Green Chamber, including other well-meaning Stakeholders within this zone who have made efforts to ensure the road is fixed.
