The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has apologised to motorists stranded on bad portions of the Benin-Sapele Expressway and other sections of the East-West Road as reconstruction work begins.
The Commission said the intervention was aimed at easing the hardship faced by road users and restoring a critical transport corridor linking Delta State with Edo, Bayelsa and Rivers states.
The development was disclosed on Friday during the official flag-off of the reconstruction of the Benin-Sapele Expressway at the Amukpe Roundabout in Delta State.
The project, awarded by the NDDC, is part of efforts to improve transportation infrastructure, strengthen regional connectivity and boost economic activities across the Niger Delta.
Speaking at the ceremony, Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, who was represented by the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, commended the NDDC for its partnership with the nine Niger Delta states.
Aniagwu said the Commission had executed projects that reflected the aspirations of residents of the region, adding that the state government remained open to further collaboration with the NDDC.
“As a government, we remain open to partnerships with the NDDC to promote sustainable development and improve the livelihood of the people,” he said.
The NDDC Governing Board Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, said the intervention demonstrated the Commission’s commitment to complementing the Federal Government’s efforts to restore critical infrastructure and reduce the burden on communities and road users.
Ebie said the NDDC would continue to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu through strategic infrastructure projects designed to improve connectivity, stimulate economic activities and enhance the quality of life of Nigerians.
Also speaking, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, acknowledged the difficulties motorists had experienced while using the Benin-Sapele corridor and other failed sections of the East-West Road.
Ogbuku said the Commission had mobilised two civil engineering firms to reconstruct the affected portions following a presidential directive for swift intervention.
“Following the presidential directive to intervene swiftly, the NDDC has mobilised two civil engineering firms to reconstruct the road. This will help minimise the suffering and gridlock faced by commuters,” he said.
He commended the Federal Government for responding to the concerns raised by road users and expressed confidence that the reconstruction, to be supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works, would provide a lasting solution to the problem.
Ogbuku appealed to residents, commuters and other road users to exercise patience and cooperate with the contractors during the construction period.
“We have mobilised two contractors to fast-track the work,” he said.
The NDDC Executive Director of Projects, Dr. Victor Antai, said the Commission and the Federal Ministry of Works had agreed to collaborate to ensure that the reconstruction conforms to the original design of the road.
Antai said the NDDC had scoped a 15.4-kilometre stretch between Benin, Ologbo Junction and Sapele, describing it as a strategic road corridor in the Niger Delta.
He noted that the deteriorated section had become largely unmotorable, resulting in prolonged gridlock, hardship for commuters and disruption of economic activities.
Antai also apologised to road users, particularly truck drivers who had been stranded at the failed sections for several days, assuring them of the Commission’s support for the Federal Ministry of Works in addressing the situation.
In her goodwill message, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, thanked President Tinubu for responding to the concerns of road users.
She commended the NDDC for intervening in the reconstruction, noting that the completed project would facilitate the movement of people and goods between Delta, Edo, Bayelsa and Rivers states.
