Indigenes from Umeh in Delta State’s Isoko South Council and Okobe in Rivers State’s Ahoada Council have praised the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for fixing damaged parts of the East-West Road.
This is stated in a statement issued by the Commission and signed by Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, Director of Corporate Affairs. The statement cited an interview made by an indigene of the village, Mr. Alex Ifure, at the Umeh stretch of the road near Patani, who claimed that the timely intervention of NDDC was a saving grace for his people and commuters, who had suffered for weeks due to the destruction caused by the flood.
He was pleased with the work being done by the construction company hired by the NDDC to carry out emergency repairs on the road, which he noted was their only link to Bayelsa and other Niger Delta states.
He bemoaned that, in addition to the road, the water had damaged their fields, leaving them with nothing to sell or feed themselves at markets. “Look at our market; it’s depleted since our people lost crops to the water.”
Also speaking, Umeh Market Master Emmanuel Ogberiegbe stated that if the NDDC had not intervened, many people would have died of hunger because the people were primarily farmers.
The traditional ruler of Igbuduya Kingdom, Eze Ikaki Ikaki, said his people were all glad that the NDDC intervened to soothe their agony from the flood damage at Okobe community in Ahoada East Council.
Michel Issa, Project Manager of SETRACO, stated that the organization had worked around the clock to ensure that the road was passable.
“We mobilized our equipment to the very bad sections as soon as NDDC engaged us. We have successfully restored the very bad sections of the road.”
