Abuja, Nigeria – President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to the completion of the East-West Road, a critical highway linking Nigeria’s South-South region to other parts of the country.
He made this assurance on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from Bayelsa State led by Governor Duoye Diri at the State House in Abuja.
The Bayelsa delegation, which included King Alfred Diette-Spiff, a former military governor of Rivers State, and other notable leaders from the region, visited the President to express gratitude for appointing Bayelsa-born Dame Esther Didi Walson-Jack as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Tinubu highlighted that Walson-Jack’s appointment was based on merit, noting her competency and strong track record in public service.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, stated that Tinubu pledged to address the long-standing challenges associated with the East-West Road project, ensuring its completion to facilitate economic growth in the region. Tinubu also emphasized that collaborative infrastructure efforts between federal and state governments are essential for economic prosperity.
“We need to invest aggressively in our infrastructure to spur economic development,” Tinubu said, referencing the significant impact of the ongoing construction of the Sokoto-Lagos and Lagos-Calabar superhighways. He stated that infrastructure investments would bring long-term economic benefits, including tourism and business opportunities along Nigeria’s 800-kilometer coastline.
Chinese Firm to Oversee Road Rehabilitation of east-west road
Earlier this year, Tinubu announced that China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) had been awarded the contract for the full rehabilitation of the East-West Road. During a recent visit to CCECC’s headquarters in Beijing, the President praised the company’s work in Nigeria, describing the road project as critical to regional connectivity and development.
Environmental Concerns and Economic Requests
In his remarks, Governor Diri expressed appreciation for the President’s appointments of Bayelsa natives to prominent positions and advocated for further support for regional projects, including the Nembe-Brass Road and the Lagos-Calabar superhighway. He also highlighted environmental challenges in Bayelsa linked to decades of oil exploration, which have resulted in widespread pollution, health crises, and economic difficulties for local communities.
Diri presented the Bayelsa Oil and Environment Commission’s report to Tinubu, which outlines the ecological and health impacts of oil pollution in the state. The report, compiled by international experts, traces high rates of cancer and other illnesses to oil spills and environmental degradation. The governor urged the federal government to prioritize cleanup and environmental restoration efforts, akin to the Ogoniland cleanup under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
“The pollution in Bayelsa’s waterways has devastated local fishing economies and harmed the health of residents,” Diri said. He further advocated for reparations from oil companies for ecological damages, arguing that international law mandates corporate responsibility regardless of whether spills result from equipment failure or sabotage.
President Tinubu assured the delegation of his administration’s dedication to addressing infrastructure and environmental issues in the Niger Delta, reaffirming his commitment to fostering economic growth and improving living conditions in Bayelsa and beyond.
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