A RESPONSE TO SENATOR BARINADA MPIGI'S STATEMENT ON THE EAST-WEST ROAD

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From Nwafor Oji Awala of Eleme Local Government Area

Dear Distinguished Senator Barinada Mpigi,

I write to you with due respect to your person and your office as the Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works.

I recently came across your press statement dated June 18, 2025, in which you assured the people of Ogoniland and users of the East-West Road of the Federal Government's unwavering commitment to the completion of all approved works, especially the stretch from Oil Mill Junction to Onne. I acknowledge your role, alongside that of other lawmakers from our zone, in previously drawing national attention to the deplorable state of this vital road and its failing bridge. That effort was commendable.

However, Distinguished Senator, permit me to ask: what has changed?

When the bridge was visibly crumbling and posed a grave threat to commuters and the economy, you raised your voice. Now that the Federal Government has only managed to commission a single lane of that same road – with the bridge largely in the same precarious condition – your silence is loud. Has the bridge been fixed? Has anything truly changed to warrant calm? Is this how governance is meant to respond to a region that gives so much yet receives so little?

Eleme is not just a community; Eleme is the productive nucleus of this country. We host two refineries, Notore Fertilizer Plant, the Indorama Petrochemical Company, and hundreds of multinational firms at the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne. We are a central artery in Nigeria’s economic body. Why then should Eleme be treated like an afterthought when it comes to basic infrastructure?

I ask you plainly: what does Abuja contribute to the national purse apart from being the capital? Yet it sparkles with new roads, flyovers, and rapid infrastructure development – all delivered on time and to standard. Is this a metaphor of the bees that make the honey and the honey badgers that feast without effort?

I am aware of your recent statement assuring us of your continued commitment. But assurances are no longer enough, Senator. The people of Eleme have waited and endured far too long. From whom much is taken, much must be given. Time is not our friend, and patience is wearing thin.

Senator, I urge you: go beyond assurances. Let your voice return with the same urgency as before. Ask the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, to go and inquire from Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, how Abuja’s bridges and roads are built to schedule. Why is Eleme’s portion of the East-West Road suffering endless delays and negligence?

Let me also state respectfully: when it comes to Eleme, no one – including yourself – has spoken out enough.

I look forward to the day Eleme receives what is due to it — not as a favour, but as a right born from its unmatched contribution to the nation's survival.


Yours sincerely,

Nwafor Oji Awala

Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State

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