- The federal government on Thursday, April 18, disclosed that there are 58 road projects ongoing in the southeast
- The government said that it is committed towards developing infrastructural development in the region and that is why is carrying out those project
- The administration also added that it is not letting the crash in oil price to discourage it from carrying out the various road projects it already planned out
The federal government on Thursday, April 18, said it was committed towards infrastructural development in the southeast.
It said in the respect of developing the southeast, it has started the construction of 58 roads, which include highways and bridges, Vanguard reports.
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The road project plans of the federal government for the southeast were disclosed during the visit of the Igbo World Union (IWU) to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in Abuja.
The minister of state for power, works, and housing, Mustapha Shehuri who received the IWU delegates said some of the places the project is ongoing are Enugu-Port Harcourt road, Umuahia-Aba road and Second Niger Bridge.
He said: “In the southeast alone, we have ongoing construction of 58 highways and bridges. We also have the second Niger Bridge ongoing. Others are the Enugu- Port-Harcourt road; Umuahia- Aba road and the Second Niger Bridge which I personally went to inspect.
“I never thought of the progress achieved in the project. The contractors had in one year done almost 40 percent. That means they can deliver the project in less than the projected three years given.”
He also said that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is committed towards infrastructural development, adding the crash in oil price did not stop the government.
He said: “Despite the crash in oil price when we came in, the budget for infrastructure (road alone) was over N280 billion.
“In the past, there are contractors that have not been paid for over two years. We decided not to toy with that part and continue paying while other sources of fund are explored.”
The minister also added that the roads in the southeast has been discomforting to those playing the road.
“It is known and established that the southeast lacks most in federal infrastructures. Wayfarers plying federal roads of that region sing different songs compared to the other regions that enjoyed modern up-to- date highways.
“Observers are worried that this particular region may have been tactically schemed out/excluded from the current trans-regional rail construction and rehabilitation.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, said that the federal government has released not less than N100 billion sourced from the Sukuk bond in December 2018 for 28 road projects throughout the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
Zainab, handing over the cheque to the ministry of power, works and housing, said that the proceeds will be used to further support government capital spending for 2018, adding that each zone will get a fixed and equal allocation of N16.67bn.
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