Stakeholders Flay Adjustments To East-West Road Project

Motorists and other road users have expressed concern over the decision of the Federal Government to make major adjustment to the reconstruction of the 15-kilometre Eleme section of the East-West Road in Rivers State.
Those who spoke to National Point noted that the adjustments would reduce the quality of the road and called on the Federal Government to stick to the original specifications.
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, had disclosed that the flyover at the Refinery Junction has been suspended, while concrete overlay would not be used on some parts of the Eket-bound lane of the road under construction.
The Minister, who visited the road late last month, said everything was being done to ensure that the Eket-bound lane of the road was completed and inaugurated by the end of May. But that target was not met.
He said work would start on the Port Harcourt-bound lane after the inauguration of the Eket-bound lane and would be completed by December this year. He added that the road would be tolled after completion.
The minister did not speak about the fate of the two other bridges at Trailer Park junction and Okulu River Aleto, where work has been very slow. But he gave a guarantee that the road would last between 50 and 100 years.
The Eleme section of the East West was in a deplorable condition for many years, causing a lot of havoc for those that use the road. Government had failed to respond to the cries of the road users until 2023 when the Federal Government mobilized Reynolds Construction Company Limited to reconstruct the 15-kilometre dualised road.
Though the project was initially programmed to be completed within one year, work progressed very slowly due to funding challenges. The slow pace of work notwithstanding, stakeholders applauded the quality of the reconstruction work.
Meanwhile, some residents of the state have expressed opposition to the plan by the Federal Government to collect tolls on the road.
They said tolling the road would amount to an unjust financial burden on the already impoverished people of the Niger Delta.
In a strongly worded statement, local advocate Samuel O. Onungwe criticized the move as a betrayal of long-standing agreements and a continuation of systemic neglect of the Eleme community. He recalled that during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, a deal was struck with the Nigeria Labour Congress to dismantle all toll gates nationwide in exchange for an increase in fuel prices—a promise that was honoured at the time.
“Historically, tolled roads in Nigeria have not delivered value,” Onungwe stated. “The funds raised from tolls were often mismanaged, unaccounted for, and did not translate into infrastructure development.”
The people of Eleme, he argued, are already reeling from decades of economic and environmental exploitation. Since oil was discovered in the area in 1957, the community has lost large tracts of farmland to exploration and industrialisation, with little to no compensation or development in return. Despite being home to major industries and contributing significantly to Nigeria’s GDP, Eleme remains underdeveloped—with no rail transport, unstable electricity, poor healthcare, and inadequate schools.
“Eleme has sacrificed so much for this country,” he said. “Our land, our health, and even our lives. Yet, we have nothing to show for it.”
He also condemned the continued marginalization of the community in federal appointments and infrastructure investment, noting that Eleme, as one of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, deserves at least a fraction of national resources under the federal character principle.
Highlighting the delayed East-West Road project, Onungwe said the prolonged construction has led to numerous deaths and economic hardship. “Only when oil production goals like the 300,000 barrels per day projected from Ogoniland and Elemeland became a priority did the government begin to take interest,” he noted.
The proposal to introduce tolling now, Onungwe argued, adds insult to injury. “Why should we pay tolls to access a road built with revenues from our land? Who will manage these funds? Where is the transparency? Is the road insured and if so, for whose benefit?”
He also raised concerns about daily harassment by police and road safety officials on the same route, questioning the morality of demanding tolls from citizens already being extorted and impoverished.
Onungwe declared the move unacceptable and warned that continued disregard for the people’s grievances could lead to mass resistance.
“If this injustice continues, we may all be compelled to resist. And if that happens, the state should be ready to arrest all of us,” he said.