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In 2006, the administration of President Olusegun Matthew Aremu Obasanjo initiated a road project known today as the ‘East-West Road’ measuring 338 kilometres. The project is of great strategic importance to the country given that it connects almost the entire oil-producing states and offers the easy movement of people and goods around the Niger Delta region.

Basically, core oil and gas producing communities in the Niger Delta region, from the refinery town of Warri in Delta State, oil-rich Bayelsa, the country’s only petrochemical plant in Alesa, Eleme in Rivers State along with the two plants of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, the Onne Ocean Terminal with the hundreds of companies and government institutions also in Rivers State, and moves on to the oil-rich city of Eket, catchment area of Oron all in Akwa Ibom State and terminates in Cross River State.

Despite the importance of this project, the Obasanjo, Yar’adua/Jonathan administrations, did not put any significant effort towards completion. Thus, this very important road was probably one of the most deprived roads in the Country. The project which was to be completed and inaugurated in 2010 remained an eyesore and a nightmare to helpless commuters.

In fact, there were stories about how some of the contractors supplying sand for the project insisted on being paid in US dollars while some Ministers also used it as slush funds for political patronage.

Perhaps, the only benefit attributable to the road was its political pertinence. East West Road project was probably one of the handiest campaign tools as virtually every political office seeker in the region promised to either fix the road or influence its completion. Sadly, the road which has huge economic value was abandoned and it remained so up until 2015.

It is easily recalled that upon assumption of office in 2015, President Buhari promised to fix the road. Seven years into his administration, even the harshest critic of the Buhari administration would give a nod that the Katsina-born former Army General is making go on the promise to deliver the rold to Niger Deltans in particular and Nigerians at large.

The Buhari administration deserves eulogy for releasing vast sum of money for the resumption of work on the 337km East-West Road project, originally awarded in 2006 and abandoned.

Between 2015 and the date, the Buhari administration has shown sufficient interest and commitment to complete this project more than any other administration. Last year, while on an inspection tour, the then Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Omotayo Alasoadura, divulged that the Mr President had released an additional N7 billion to contractors to facilitate the completion of the road.

President Buhari also ordered that the project be returned from then Senator Godswill Akpabio-led Niger Delta ministry which had been handling its construction to the Ministry of Works and Housing, which has much more experienced professionals in terms of engineering services.

Today, the sour story of the East West Road is changing, thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari. The multi-billion naira project would soon be inaugurated.

Responding to questions recently during a Radio Nigeria interview programme in Abuja, Minister of Niger Delta Affiars, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, hinted that the dual carriage highway, which traverses the entire Niger Delta region, is 80 per cent completed, describing it as one of the projects after the heart of Mr. President.

He explained that the redesigning of the Eleme (Rivers state) section of the road into a six-lane super highway is to accommodate heavy traffic from the industrial clusters between Eleme and Onne.

However, with the matching order recently given by the President to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its subsidiaries to fix the section 4 of the East-West road, spanning from Eleme roundabout to Onne junction, in Rivers State with immediate effect, using the Tax Credit Scheme, it becomes evident that nothing can stop the completion and inauguration of the 336km road.

Therefore, it will be in the interest of all communities and towns who are primary beneficiaries of this important road to support and collaborate with construction companies contracted by the Federal government to complete the project.

The Federal Ministry of Works on its part must also ensure they leave no stone unturned in giving Niger Deltans nay Nigerians top-notch result. President Muhammadu Buhari has been liken to the Biblical Nehemiah considering that he is in a hurry to Rebuild, Restore and Revive the Niger Delta region.