Obasanjo awarded N340b road project without design – Orubebe

A former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, on Thursday cleared himself of any blame on the slow pace of work on the controversial East-West Road project.
According to the former Minister, the barrage of criticisms over the project should not be heaped on his head, saying the project was awarded without adequate funding.
Orubebe said the project has been crawling since it was awarded in 2006 during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure because only N1.2 billion was released by the former President.
Besides, Orubebe said the project was awarded without design, drawing and funding.
Speaking at a consultative forum with the executive members of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party in Asaba, Delta State, Orubebe, flanked by members of the Delta Peoples’ Forum, a Non-Governmental Organization, the platform on which he banks to achieve his governorship ambition to succeed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan next year, explained that out of the N340 billion approved for the project, a meagre N1.2 billion was released by former President Obasanjo.
He hinted of what it took him to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to take up the project with so many culverts and 42 bridges, which prompted him to seek for money elsewhere to execute the project.
The governorship aspirant said despite the non-availability of funds as well as peculiarity of the Niger Delta region’s terrain, “I supervised the execution of the project from zero per cent to over 70 per cent completion after I borrowed money from African Development Bank.”
He said at a point the Chairman of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Niger Delta confirmed the fact that the Niger Delta Ministry is acutely underfunded, explaining why the project may not be completed based on its December 2014 specification.
He therefore, urged Nigerians to be fair in condemning him and understand the big lacuna between approval and release of funds.
He said: “Orubebe is not a magician. He has his style. He is passionate. The project has gone far. The job was like a joke. Obasanjo released N1 billion for the project. Instead of fighting the National Assembly, he went for fund, not wanting to make unnecessary cry.
“I am not an accidental politician. I started as a councillor to Local Government Chairman, to board member, commissioner and minister.
“When I was chairman, l held monthly meeting and l shall replicate that when l become the governor. I also initiated Project Account when l was a board member, making us to pay all contractors in the State Primary Education Board. I am an architect of urban renewal.”
The Delta State chairman of the PDP, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, who hailed the antecedent of the former Minister, assured Orubebe of a level playing field in the race to succeed Governor Uduaghan.