NewStats: 3,265,537 , 8,187,137 topics. Date: Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 04:29 PM 6z1852

The Minister of Works, David Umahi has said those criticizing him over Eleme section of the East-Wrst Road in Rivers State recently commissioned are faceless’.

This is as he revealed that same section of the road was awarded for N156 billion by the past istration, but that work on the project never started.

Umahi said complete reconstruction work on the road began when President Bola Tinubu came to office and gave approval for work to commence immediately, saying the President deserves commendation for that show of courage.

Recall that some Ogoni stakeholders, specifically the President of elite socio-cultural organisation in Ogoni known as KAGOTE, (an acronym for Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas), Emmanuel Deeyah earlier this week tackled Umahi over alleged claims that the East-West road has been completed, and that he misled the President to commission the Eleme section of the East-West road which is still under construction.


But Umahu while answering questions from newsmen during an inspection of the road on Thursday evening clarified that the project is in phases and what was commissioned was phase one which has one carriageway.

The Minister while reacting to the body’s comment said, “They must be faceless stakeholders’ because even the opposition they have been on this road and they call me to say I should thank the President for this road”

He continued, “This is the first time in the Niger Delta that you are using this kind of concrete pavement. Thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“And so what we did was phase this project. Phase one is one full carriage way and phase two is the second carriage way, and the bridges and the flyover. So we are done with phase one and that’s what we commissioned”.


He explained that the few noticeable ‘disted portion’ is where the flyover ramps are supposed to come.

“But I’ve directed them (contractor) while we wait for the super-structure of the flyovers and the bridges, they should go and put asphalt there and I give them seven days”, Umahi stated.


The Minister further said the aim is to ensure a hitch-free journey for motorists from the Eleme junction down to Onne.

“You will not have any disted portion. So they are going to do that. It’s an added cost but it’s good for the people so that you have a seamless journey from Eleme junction to Onne, ” he emphasized.

The Minister commended the firm handling the road for the quality of work, saying, “They have done extremely very well. They were too fast as we agreed to net off this one carriage way by April which they did.

“So I commend them very highly. We are back to fight for the second carriage way because it’s been delayed now. We are back to fighting on the bridges and flyover. But I’ve seen the bridge expert here and he is going to give us 80 span bridges.

“Its one of the newest technologies that he is going to be using. So I’m very happy that I saw him, I’ve noticed the number of jobs that he has done. So in the next three, four, five months you will witness a different ball game in this place”.


Umahi said he has visited the project over ten times in the directives of the President because of the importance of the road which leads to many critical national assets.

According to them, “A lot of companies are here, the treasure base of the country is also here. So we are very much interested in this Road. And don’t forget that this road when we took it over even though it had not started, was awarded for N156 billion by the past istration but it never got started.

“So when we came on board we looked at the traffic and we knew that the 10cm of asphalt, you know binder 6cm and wearing of 4cm won’t be able to carry the traffic. And so we redesigned it. In most cases we dug one meter filled with lumps, sharp sand, stone base of different layers, and then 200mm of reinforced concrete of pavements”.

“And so we are very sure that we won’t touch this road for the next 50 years. And I’m happy that he has started here because this place had claimed some lives before which saddened the President.

“And we don’t want anything that will make the President sad because he loves the people very highly”, Umahi noted.

Our correspondemt who covered the inspection by the Minister reports that he will visit the Ahoada-Mbiama section of the East-West Road on Friday before leaving Rivers State.

https://punchng.com/umahi-defends-east-west-road-commissioning-says-phase-one-completed/?amp

Wetin be dis one?



This East waste West road don suffer for politician hand. #JusticeForEastWestRoad

Lol. Is it this bad? Tinubu has no concrete achievement after two years in power. We are now commissioning disted one carriageway of a road under construction and terming it phase one. The jokes write themselves.

If by his ittance, the Buhari government already paid 156 billion naira for the road, was the money forfeited to the contractor and re-awarded or should we say Buhari already paid a part of the project? Don't forget, Umahi told us Buhari was the best thing since sliced bread and went ahead to name the Ebonyi airport after Buhari but Buhari declined. Perhaps, he saw through the sycophancy unlike the one in power today who demands it.

Umahi commissions projects, they complain, Wike commissions projects, they complain. They're bitter that the man they hate is commissioning many projects in two years. The " we told you" they wanted to say in 2027 is sinking inside the lagoon.

zero8zero:
Umahi commissions projects, they complain, Wike commissions projects, they complain. They're bitter that the man they hate is commissioning many projects in two years. The " we told you" they wanted to say in 2027 is sinking inside the lagoon.

They are not "commissioning projects" though. How do you commission a road under construction? They should be flagging it off instead.

So much in a hurry to receive the gullible. Why commission in phases when you didn't award the contract in phases. What's the hurry about. The eleme stretch is just 5km max. What's the craze for commissioning uncompleted projects.

AMINDA:
Lol. Is it this bad? Tinubu has no concrete achievement after two years in power. We are now commissioning one carriageway of a road under construction and terming it phase one. The jokes write themselves.

meum:
Wetin be dis one?


This East waste West road don suffer for politician hand. #JusticeForEastWestRoad

How many km of the road did OBJ that flagged it off commission before he left?., Other past Presidents that budgeted funds for same road, how many km did they Commission?. This road will be fully completed by November/December. But I can't blame you, bitterness is your birthright.

ogmask:
So much in a hurry to receive the gullible. Why commission in phases when you didn't award the contract in phases. What's the hurry about. The eleme stretch is just 5km max. What's the craze for commissioning uncompleted projects.

Because you have not been following, the roads are awarded to different contractors and the difficult terrain makes it unpleasant to complete it at a stretch which is why it had been abandoned for 19years until now. Therefore it had to be divided in phases. And the stretch commissioned is 8km not 5km.

Only in Nigeria they named road and commission road phase by phase. Local champions

zero8zero:




How many km of the road did OBJ that flagged it off commission before he left?., Other past Presidents that budgeted funds for same road, how many km did they Commission?. This road will be fully completed by November/December. But I can't blame you, bitterness is your birthright.

You dey mind them, since 2006, nothing was commissioned and they couldn't hold past istrations able for budgeting funds for the road every year but these bitter losers are here wailing about an istration that's completing the abandoned road projects phase by phase.

AMINDA:


They are not "commissioning projects" though. How do you commission a road under construction? They should be flagging it off instead.

How many has your state Governor commissioned?. Especially the butcher of Kaduna?

Tiliunmbu will soon start commissioning 1 km.

Anything this APC touches,just watch it: they destroy it. I won't start mentioning such projects that have embarked upon that ends up messed up. The worst is there are miscreants, even here on Narialand, ing them. Funny country I share with these lunatics

zero8zero:
Umahi commissions projects, they complain, Wike commissions projects, they complain. They're bitter that the man they hate is commissioning many projects in two years. The " we told you" they wanted to say in 2027 is sinking inside the lagoon.

because Emmanuel deeya of kagote told him bitter truth

Beautiful our able Senator Umahi! God is your strength! I pray that you live long

These keep on lying about things that are verifiable, what of cooked s we can never see. Irony some of their din din rins are hyper active to tag you ibo.

zero8zero:




How many km of the road did OBJ that flagged it off commission before he left?., Other past Presidents that budgeted funds for same road, how many km did they Commission?. This road will be fully completed by November/December. But I can't blame you, bitterness is your birthright.

If that project is completed by december I will campaign for BAT in 2027.

You dont even know the stretch of that Road. From Bayelsa to Delta State , Down to Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom. Do you even know how many bridges to be constructed?

Tinubu wont finish it in his tenure. Thats why reasonable minds where calling on him to focus on the east west road and leave the coastal road.

Now both projects wont even be completed in 10 years considering the antecedents of Nigerian politicians.

You people speak so ignorantly with confidence.

It seems the word "Commission or commissioning" inflicts pains in some people's body. Because I don't understand why they're pained anytime Nigeria wins or try to win.


But I'm really enjoying their tears.

The length these people go to seek validation by commissioning uncompleted projects. In what universe do you commission half done projects??

Propaganda fraud.
Time and KARMA will judge these APC looter's.
If that is what you call completed.

Propaganda as usual. Why would a whole FG commission one carriage way!

Ezmans:
because Emmanuel deeya of kagote told him bitter truth

Why couldn't he tell past istrations who couldn't commission 1km of the road the truth?. When people were left traveling on a terrible, dusty and pot holes.

U09ce:
Propaganda as usual. Why would a whole FG commission one carriage way!

What did your whole FG Commission on that road since OBJ initiated it?

Carry on my guy… Umahi is a great guuuy.
But wait o, last last seun don do something about the nuisance of FTC😂😂😂

Mahenson:


If that project is completed by december I will campaign for BAT in 2027.

You dont even know the stretch of that Road. From Bayelsa to Delta State , Down to Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom. Do you even know how many bridges to be constructed?

Tinubu wont finish it in his tenure. Thats why reasonable minds where calling on him to focus on the east west road and leave the coastal road.

Now both projects wont even be completed in 10 years considering the antecedents of Nigerian politicians.

You people speak so ignorantly with confidence.

You're the ignorant bitter one here, same bitter mouths like you said the second Niger bridge was a scam and will never be completed, Dangote refinery was a scam and will never be completed until 2030. Abeg Tinubu doesn't need your campaign, stick to your Twitter President.

Interesting how those who didn't hold GEJ able for not doing the one project that connects the entire Niger Delta together during his tenure are now lambasting current govt for commissioning in phases. I criticised the extremely slow pace of work by RCC on that stretch of road in the past 2 yrs but was pleasantly surprised to see the progress in recent months particularly the Eleme-Akpajo stretch.

Partial commissioning or not, one side of that stretch is motorable and drivable. All we should ask for is the speedy completion of the other side of the dual carraigeway. The road houses the Eleme Petrochemicals, PortHarcourt Refinery and the Onne port, critical national infrastructure.

zero8zero:


https://punchng.com/umahi-defends-east-west-road-commissioning-says-phase-one-completed/?amp

When will you get tired?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

zero8zero:


https://punchng.com/umahi-defends-east-west-road-commissioning-says-phase-one-completed/?amp

It has been the stock in trade for this istration to commission uncomplicated projects here and there. What is wrong in telling the president to come for an inspection of the work done so far? Why should a whole president have the time to commission an uncomplicated projects?

zero8zero:


https://punchng.com/umahi-defends-east-west-road-commissioning-says-phase-one-completed/?amp

What's with all these phase by phase commissioning? You budget hundreds of millions to commission part of a road, why not just finish the road and commission at once?