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Akpabio Inaugurates Counterpart Team To Manage N1tn Investment The East-West Road

Published

4 years ago

November 12, 2020

Joel Ajayi

The Honourable Minister, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) Senator (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio, CON, has reinstated the commitment of the Ministry to giving adequate consideration to the management of the East-West Road which at completion would be gulped close to One Trillion Naira to ensure that safety, efficiency and economic viability of the road is not compromised and return on investment guaranteed.

The Minister made this disclosure at the inaugural virtual meeting of counterparts on the complementary programme for the East-West the project held on Thursday, November 12th, 2020.

Sen. Akpabio noted that the huge cost of the construction of the Road was due to the nature of the terrain and magnitude of the project. He noted that it was also logical that an investment of this magnitude should elicit further attention for its management beyond just construction.

According to the Hon. Minister, “the Ministry has put together this initiative to rally all counterparts to combine all efforts to providing a befitting management structure for the road corridor. It is based on the clear comprehension that all the States along this corridor have a germane role to play in the planning, development and management of their respective domains and that the actions and inactions of any will ultimately affect the corridor”.

Speaking further, Dr Godswill Akpabio explained that owning to the experience on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other major highways in the country the collective task of the counterpart team is to ensure that the highway corridor is efficient, safe and economical in the short, medium and long term. Therefore, it is critical and compelling that the Ministry urgently and proactively take steps to guarantee the Road corridor to deal with the envisaged challenges of settlement, growth and human activities along the route.

Members of the counterpart team are Mr Olalekan Lana (FMW&H), Engr. I. Y. Danlele (FMW&H) Mrs Ehigie Agalasi (FMT), Chief Arthur Akpowowo Hon. Commissioner, (representative of Govt. of Delta State) Tpl.Benson Diriyai ((ML&HD) representative of Bayelsa State Govt., Barr. Erastus C Awortu jp (representative of River State Govt.), Engr. Ime Sunday Akpan (representative of Govt. of Akwa Ibom State), Mr Patrick Agbe consultant to Cross River State Govt. Engr. Patrick Okereafor (MNDA), Tpl. Olufemi Oloruntola (MNDA), Engr. Osahon Idemudia (MNDA)

In his goodwill message, the Honourable Minister of State, MNDA, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura said that the East-West road corridor will attract the development of human settlement and economic activities towards it when completed and the Ministry under its current leadership is desirous of turning around the fortunes of the Niger Delta Region (NDR) for the better.

He said that complementary programme for the East-West road is one of the many initiatives of this current resolve to elicit partnership for better result.

In his words” the East-West road is our prime asset and our duty is to ensure that we all play our parts creditably in its upkeep and management.” Sen. Alasoadura added.

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, MNDA, Dr Babayo Ardo reiterated that the inaugural meeting aimed at evolving an enduring management approach for the East-West Road Corridor being constructed by the Ministry.

The Road project which is a dual carriage, four laneway, spans about 361km across five States of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross Rivers is designed to function as the regional spine on the East-West axis to provide unimpeded movement of goods, services and passengers.

“The purpose of the programme is to ensure that the right of way is protected and insulated as much as possible from adjoining development and thus provide safety,” he said.

The Director of Housing and Urban Development, MNDA, Engr. Patrick Okereafor, FNSE, in his vote of gratitude said the inauguration of the team is the beginning of a long process of collaboration.

Engr. Okereafor through the Hon. Minister expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for the confidence reposed in the leadership and management of the Ministry.

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CSO Salutes Trump

Published

2 weeks ago

January 20, 2025

The Gleamer

A Civil Society Organization (CSO) under the aegis of Initiative for Leadership Development and Change (ILDC) has congratulated President Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States of America.

Chief Ugochukwu Nnam, President of the CSO said this in an interview with the Newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

He expressed optimism over improvement on not just American economy but global economy with the inauguration of Trump.

“This is a man with greater vision of making environment around him great.

“In less than few hours of his inauguration, TikTok is back into existence, this shows how he is going to revive the world economy,” he said.

The ILDC boss who reiterated his confidence in Trump’s Presidency, described him as a man of clues and ideas to drive a stable America and the world at large.

He lauded Trump’s collaboration with global entrepreneurs like Elon Musk in an effort to revitalize America’s economy.

According to him, men and women of ideas flock together, they work together for better society and this is what Trump is doing.

Recall that Donald Trump became the 47th President of the U.S by polling 312 electoral votes Vice President Kamala Harris’ 226 votes in Nov, 2024.

Following the oath of office, Trump will address the nation before he is expected to parade across town to the White House and attend three inaugural balls in the evening

About 200,000 supporters are expected to visit the city to mark the presidential transfer of power.

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