The Ministry of Niger Delta is clearly one critical ministry that Mr President picked the right set of persons to oversee in his assignment of portfolios to his ministers, and it is expected that the pair of outstanding hands saddled with the responsibility of this Ministry will hit the ground running not only because of the strategic nature of this ministry but also because of the myriads of challenges confronting it.

His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Hon. Minister of Niger Delta is a hands on person, a known performer, a man of excellence, a workaholic and a very experienced administrator and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will bring his excellence to bear on the affairs of this Ministry

As a former Governor of oil rich Akwa Ibom State and someone who loves this region and is passionately interested in her development, Senator Akpabio has all it takes to rejuvenate the Niger Delta Ministry which was almost comatose and moribund under his predecessor. He has the carriage, the presence, the personality, the tact, the midas touch, the drive and the influence to make things happen in the ministry for the betterment of the Niger Delta people.

His status as a former Governor and former lawmaker in the country’s highest legislative chamber will also give him the independent mindedness needed to make the right calls in the interest of the people. He has a voice that the whole nation can listen to and the reach and contacts within the government to attract better budgetary allocations to the ministry and he must muster the benefits of those advantages in his work in the ministry.

With a known people-person and activist in the mould of the cerebral Festus Keyamo SAN of celebrated integrity supporting him as Minister of State, we have undoubtedly one of the most outstanding pairs in the Buhari cabinet and that has skyrocketed the expectations of Nigerians for this Ministry.

THE NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE BEFORE AKPABIO

For many Niger Deltans, it is simply inconceivable that for four good years of the Buhari Presidency, there was no development on the East-West Road. Ironically, the poor state of that road was a major reason some of us from the Niger Delta became disillusioned with the Jonathan Presidency and joined the effort to oust it.

In fact, the APC in 2015 cleverly used the deplorable state and slow pace of work on the East-West Road to viciously campaign against former President Jonathan in the Niger Delta region. That is why it has been difficult for me and many others to come to terms with the fact that four years of the Buhari government did next to nothing on the East-West Road, a development that is corrosively eating into the goodwill of the Niger Delta people for the Buhari Presidency.

Of particular concern has been the unspeakably horrible state of Kilometers 0-15 of section 3 of the East West Road stretching from Eleme Junction to Onne Junction in Rivers State which is arguably one of the most strategic stretches of the East West Road.

This stretch of the road directly leads to federal government investments and assets worth over 90 billion US dollars. It boasts of the Onne Sea Port, two refineries, Indorama Petrochemicals which just added a new train that was recently commissioned by the Vice President, a Navy College, Nortorie (former NAFCON) and several multinational oil companies.

This part of the East West Road which also serves as an artery from Port Harcourt into the oil rich Akwa Ibom (Senator Akpabio’s State) and Cross River States was awarded by the federal government since 2014 to a reputable company of international pedigree. It was designed to have two flyover interchange at the traffic-prone Refinery and Onne junctions with five bridges at different locations.

The contractors mobilized to site since 2014 and till date have not been mobilized, yet they have maintained presence with yard filled with machinery, willing and ready to swing into action to remedy the lugubrious situation of this road.

The Hon Minister of Niger Delta himself is very familiar with the deplorable state of this road which has transmuted from a death trap to a death hole, with motorists, oil workers, commuters stranded in many hours of misery with the concomitant lost of man hours.

That a stretch of road this monumentally important not only to the people of the Niger Delta but also to the economy of this country could be left and abandoned in such terrible and deadly state speaks of neglect of the most annoying proportion. Fate has now placed the responsibility to right this wrong on the shoulders of Senator Akpabio and history is already out with its sheets on which verdict will be entered.

This time, no excuse will be good enough for failure with the caliber of men we have in charge of this important ministry. Senator Akpabio turned the fortunes of Akwa Ibom into infrastructural paradise as governor, and now, favoured as the Niger Delta Minister, he can replicate his characteristic touch of an uncommon performer in this ministry and go down into the pantheon of the Niger Delta people as an exceptional public servant.
That effort must start with the East West road.

Kennedy Friday writes from Port Harcourt.