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East-West Road: Royal Fathers Raise Alarm Over Plan To Abandon Project
Royal fathers and community leaders in the Niger Delta region under the auspices of East-West Road Community Association (EWRCA), have raised alarm over an alleged plan by the Federal Government to abandon the ongoing construction work on the East-West Road.
The chairman of the association, His Royal Highness, Eze Joshua Eyiiba of Ekpeye Kingdom in Rivers State, raised the alarm during the press briefing organised by the association in Port Harcourt, recently.
The chairman, whose address was read by the Secretary of the association, Chief Bob-Chima Okala said that the alarm was necessitated by the recent claim by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Hon God’sday Orubebe that the road project was 50 percent completed.
He also alleged that the Minister directed that money so far released for the ongoing project recently should be spent only on the Delta State segment of the road, thereby abandoning the Kaiama, Mbiama-Port Harcourt section of the project.
The association disclosed that the Senate Committee on Works on its oversight function on the project only visited the Delta segment of the road and went straight to Eleme-Akwa Ibom axis without inspecting the Kaiama-Eleme stretch of the road.
According to the association, the decision of the Senate Committee on Works to by-pass the Kaiama-Eleme segment was further confirmation that the Federal Government had concluded plans to abandon the project, especially the Kaiama-Eleme axis of the road.
The group condemned the claims by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs that over 50 per cent of the project had been achieved, adding that the statements were false.
There was a televised press interview that 50 per cent of the job has been done on East-West Road project. We wonder what statistical index or criteria our Hon Minister used in arriving at such incoherent analysis. How could they have done 50 per cent when even the newly expanded road has neither been done, nor the old one touched at all”, he asked.
The EWRCA leader averred that it was disappointing to note that a drive from Eleme junction in Port Harcourt through Ahoada to Kaiama and Ugheli would show the abysmal performance on the road project contrary to speculations of the honourable minister.
Eze Eyiba appealed to the Federal Government to release money to SETRACO Nigeria Limited, the contracting firm handling the project, to enable it continue the project, adding that the East – West Road had become a death trap which he said had been causing avoidable accidents virtually every day.
He stated that the completion of the road project was initially slated for 2010 and later shifted to 2014 but expressed fears that the work might not be completed before the end of the present administration.
Also speaking, Eze Robinson O. Robinson, Royal Majesty of Ekpeye Kingdom, who is the patron of the association, corroborated the fears of the royal fathers that the Federal Government may abandon the road project, adding that the region was the economic nerve-centre of the nation.
The Royal Father appealed to President Good Jonathan and the Minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe to ensure that the ongoing East-West Road project was completed before the expiration of their tenure, considering the economic importance of the road, adding that Federal Government could not hide under the cover of Boko Haram insurgency as an excuse not to complete the job.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had lauded the courage and commitment of troops of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in North East Nigeria.
Abubakar gave the commendation during a morale-boosting visit to the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri, Borno.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, yesterday, in Abuja.
The CAS said their sacrifices were etched in the history of the nation, and in the hearts of millions of Nigerians who sleep safer because of the troops’ vigilance.
He emphasised that their bravery and resilience in the face of adversity have not gone unnoticed, saying his visit underscored the vital role airpower plays in neutralising threats and protecting communities.
Abubakar pledged continued investment in cutting-edge technology to empower frontline units.
According to him, the NAF remains steadfast in its mission, guided by leadership, strengthened by unity, and driven by the selfless service of its personnel.
The visit comes at a critical moment, reinforcing the importance of public support for military operations and spotlighting the human element at the heart of national defence.
Nigeria’s soft drinks and beverage market continues to show strong growth potential, making it the leading consumer of soft drinks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association.
A statement by the VDMA disclosed during a press conference held in Lagos ahead of drinktec 2025, that Nigeria consumed over 53 billion litres of soft drinks in 2024, placing it well ahead of other African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.
Despite challenges such as inflation and a weakening naira, Nigeria’s growing population, rising urbanisation, and expanding middle class are key factors driving demand in the beverage sector.
Bottled water led the segment with 48.7 billion litres sold in 2024, a figure projected to rise by 27% to 62 billion litres by 2028.
Carbonated soft drinks followed with 3.4 billion litres, expected to reach 4.4 billion litres by 2028, while energy drinks are forecasted to grow by 30% over the same period. Juices, though relatively small, are also on an upward trajectory.
“The Nigerian beverage market is expanding quickly due to increasing accessibility and affordability,” VDMA stated, citing data from Euromonitor International.
Set to take place in Munich from 15 to 19 September 2025, drinktec is the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry.
VDMA, a key exhibitor and technical partner for the event, revealed that Nigerian participation is expected to be strong, especially as the country anticipates economic recovery.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has condemned the recent ban placed on a song by Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the development as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression.
Abdulkareem had waxed a song titled “Tell Your Papa” which criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued from New York University, Abu Dhabi, yesterday, Soyinka criticised the action and its wider implications, saying it echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.
“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre – the cartoon – who sent me his recent graphic comment on the event, I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem,” Soyinka said in the piece posted on PM news.
He expressed irony in suggesting that the ban did not go far enough, stating, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned – the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN, or whatever musical association of which Abdulkareem is member, should also go under the hammer.”
Soyinka noted that he had not listened to the banned song but stressed that the issue transcends content and concerns a fundamental democratic principle.
“It cannot be flouted. That, surely is basic. This is why I feel that we should look on the bright side of any picture and thus recommend the Aleshinloye cartoon – and others in allied vein – as an easy-to-apprehend, easy-to-digest summation of the wisdom of attempting to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary,” he said.
He also pointed out the irony that censorship often benefits the targeted artist.
The ban is a boost to the artist’s nest egg, thanks to free governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank. I envy him,” he added.
The literary icon warned that such censorship was not only counterproductive but also dangerous to democratic development.
“We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseum. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizures of the fundamental right of free expression,” Soyinka said.
He warned that the ban creates “a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power,” where state authorities feel emboldened to clamp down on dissent.
Soyinka’s statement also touched on broader issues of impunity and mob violence in Nigeria, lamenting the recent lynching of 19 youths in Edo State.
“My heart goes out to friends, colleagues and families of victims and traumatised survivors of this senseless slaughter. Our thirst for justice must remain unslaked,” he said.
Referencing the 2022 killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, Soyinka criticised the culture of impunity, saying, “Identified killers were set free to gloat, and paste their photos on the Social Media… in full daylight glare, in the presence of both citizen voyeurs and security forces.”
He called for accountability, warning that “as long as the culture of impunity is given the sheerest strain of legitimacy in any given cause, such gruesome assaults on our common humanity will continue to prevail.”
Soyinka concluded by urging the relevant regulatory body to reverse what he described as a “petulant irrationality,” warning that any government that only tolerates praise-singers “has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss.”