By Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Civil society leader, Rev. David Ugolor, has called on the Senate to convene a public hearing on the rehabilitation of the East–West Road and establish a Niger Delta Legislative Working Group to ensure the permanent reconstruction of the highway, describing it as one of Nigeria’s greatest infrastructure failures.
In an open letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Ugolor, Convener of The Common Good Letter Initiative, said the time had come for the Senate to translate its debates into concrete action.
According to him, he transcribed and shared videos of the recent interventions made by both senators on the Senate floor to preserve their messages and encourage wider public engagement.
Quoting from the official transcript of Senate President Akpabio’s remarks, Ugolor highlighted the Senate President’s concerns over the deplorable condition of major federal highways.
“Because that is the most traversed road that I know of, all the way from Calabar through Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia, and other states. It’s a very, very busy road that goes to Lagos. It’s a major thoroughfare,” Akpabio said.
He also referenced the impact on other states, quoting Akpabio as saying:
“But, sir, also to Kogi because we have two giant cement factories transporting cement along the Benin Road to the North.
Sometimes, when the road is blocked, we can spend seven hours travelling from Auchi to Abuja, which used to take only three hours.”
Akpabio further advocated the complete rehabilitation of critical highways rather than temporary repairs.
“We should call for the total rehabilitation of some of these roads, not just patching them, because they are major national thoroughfares. We must budget more for FERMA rather than rushing into the construction of new roads,” he said.
Citing the official transcript of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Ugolor noted the Edo North senator’s allegation of imbalance in the allocation of federal road projects.
“Whereas we have all these old roads in terrible condition, the government is proposing the construction of new roads while existing ones remain neglected. Yet, between Edo and Delta states, there is manifest bias by the Minister of Works,” Oshiomhole said.
The senator further lamented the poor condition of roads linking Benin to neighbouring cities.
“You cannot travel from Benin to Warri. You cannot go from Benin to Asaba. You cannot travel from Benin to Auchi. You cannot go from Benin to Okene through Umuachi. What have we done wrong?” he asked.
Oshiomhole also alleged that the Minister of Works deliberately excluded the section of the road bordering Edo and Delta states from the national budget despite an earlier Senate resolution. He urged the minister to adopt a more balanced national approach to road development.
Despite these interventions, Ugolor said the situation on the ground remains critical.
“Lives continue to be lost on this road. Businesses continue to suffer enormous losses. Communities remain vulnerable to insecurity, while motorists endure avoidable hardship every day,” he said.
To sustain public advocacy, Ugolor announced the launch of The Common Good Letter Video Series, a citizen-led campaign aimed at mobilising support for the rehabilitation of the East–West Road. He invited both Akpabio and Oshiomhole to watch and share the first episode.
He also urged Senator Oshiomhole to return the matter to the Senate floor and, if permitted, play excerpts from the video before his colleagues as “a reflection of the voices and experiences of ordinary Nigerians.”
Ugolor further called on the Senate to pass a motion for a public hearing on the East–West Road and other strategic federal roads in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the hearing should review all contracts awarded for the project, examine budgetary allocations, releases and implementation, invite the Minister of Works, relevant ministries, departments and agencies, contractors and oversight institutions, and receive submissions from affected communities, transport unions, businesses, engineers, civil society organisations and independent experts to develop “an agreed roadmap with measurable milestones.”
Beyond the hearing, Ugolor proposed the establishment of a bipartisan Niger Delta Legislative Working Group on the East–West Road, comprising members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
He said the proposed working group would coordinate legislative oversight, engage the Executive to remove implementation bottlenecks, collaborate with the private sector, development partners, engineers, professional bodies, transport unions and civil society organisations, and work with The Common Good Letter Initiative to promote transparency.
According to him, the group should also publish periodic public progress reports until the project is completed.
Ugolor stressed that the rehabilitation of the East–West Road should not be viewed through the lens of partisan politics.
“The successful completion of the East–West Road has the potential to become one of the defining infrastructure achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
“It would strengthen regional integration, unlock economic opportunities, improve national security and demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to the development of the Niger Delta,” he said.
He added that the project’s completion would also “deepen public confidence in the administration and strengthen the relationship between the APC-led Federal Government and the people of the Niger Delta.”
“History remembers leaders who transform difficult challenges into enduring legacies. I believe this is one of those moments,” Ugolor said.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
