Elder statesman and Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark has urged President Bola Tinubu to give priority to the state of roads in the South South in the 2025 budget.
Clark stated this in an open letter to the president entitled ‘Please Declare State Of Emergency On The Roads In The South South Of The Country In Your 2025 Budget.’
The Niger Delta leader, in the letter made available to LEADERSHIP, conceded that resources are lean and demands are many but noted that it is difficult to understand why roads in the communities that produce the resources that keep this country going are in such a terrible state.
Baring a change of plans, the President is expected to present the budget to the National Assembly this week.
“As leader of the people of the South-South, I have no choice than to write to you on this matter of critical importance and pain to me and my people. That is to bring to your attention the very bad state of roads and links within the South-South zone where the revenue of this country come from.
“I am particularly shocked by the fact that the team which we sent out led by the National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador (Dr.) Godknows Boladei Igali and members of the National Executive to attend the funerals of late National Chairman (Worldwide) of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Nwanyanwu, former Senate President, Dr. Joseph Wayas and the late wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor (Mrs.) Kemi Eno had to travel around by road and brought to us a very worrying state of affairs on the roads.”
He listed some of the roads that need attention to include Benin-Auchi Road; Benin-Uromi-Sapele Road; Sapele-Warri Road; Port Harcourt-Owerri Road; Uyo-Itu-Calabar Road; Calabar-Obudu Road; The East-West Road.
“It is already very sad that the Niger Delta suffering from decades of environmental damage which would take us many generations to recover from. So, to imagine that we cannot commute among ourselves and daily our region produces billions to the national coffers is difficult to fathom. At current production level of 1.8 million barrels per day, which we the leaders of the region working with government have achieved and are still working to increase this, it is difficult to understand why the roads in our region should be in this very deplorable condition. With oil prices now at US$73 per barrel, we reckon that we are producing enough and we in the Niger Delta cannot be in this condition.
“What is required to fix the roads is not even up to a week’s production of oil.
“I am writing this passionate appeal to you to declare an EMERGENCY in the coming 2025 Budget and also direct your Minister of Works and its relevant agencies to redouble their efforts to repair these roads. Mr. President, we therefore demand that in 2025, this situation of the Niger Delta, the treasure base of the country should be declared an emergency without further delay.
“Let me assure you of my fatherly blessings and hope that you will stamp your name in the annals of Nigeria’s history by correcting this state of unfairness being meted out to the people of the Niger Delta,” he said.
