Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, on Monday expressed the Federal Government’s determination to complete the East/West Road in 2014.
He, however, explained that N140bn was urgently required to deal with the problem of infrastructure in the Niger Delta region.
Orubebe said this in an interview with journalists in Lagos.
The minister announced that the East-West road had reached 65 per cent completion.
He lamented that in spite of efforts being made by government towards achieving results there was a lot of misconception about the ministry’s performance.
Orubebe said that N209bn had so far been spent on the road project, adding that N140bn was required to complete the project.
He said, “People have misconceptions about the slow pace of service delivery by the ministry. We have moved from 10 per cent to 65 per cent, in terms of completion. Before, there were no drawings and designs. Within a year, we had drawings and designs.”
The minister said in spite of the challenges being faced by the ministry, it was doing all within its power to deliver on its mandate of improving the lot of Niger Deltans.
He also said apart from fostering peace in the oil-rich zone, the ministry had contributed immensely to empowering ex-agitators many of who had acquired skills which would make them productive members of the society.
Orubebe, however, expressed disappointment with the spate of kidnappings in the zone which he said was being perpetrated by criminal gangs.
The minister dismissed insinuations that his attention had been diverted from his ministerial assignment by his speculated governorship ambition in Delta State.
He said, “I am a politician. But I have not gathered people to say that I want to be a governor. May be, because I have been a minister for five years, that is why there is speculation.
“If I will run for the governorship, I will call you to tell you. My attention is not diverted. I am focused. I work with my team. If you don’t see me in Abuja, you will see me on the East/West road or any of the South-South states.”
Orubebe also denied any rift between him and Ijaw leader, Senator Edwin Clark, who he described as a great statesman and good leader.
Source: The PUNGE