17th May, 2013
JETHRO IBILEKE/Asaba
The Delta State Government has approved the construction of two fly-overs in Asaba, the state capital and Effurun in the Nigerian oil-rich city of Warri, to ease traffic congestion.
The State Commissioner for Works, Funkekeme Solomon, announced this Thursday while briefed journalists at the end of the state executive council meeting in Asaba.
The Asaba fly-over which would gulp about N3.5 billion from the state resources, would be located at the Ekumeku Roundabout, while the second one to be built at the Effurun Roundabout, would cost N4.18 billion.
Funkekeme while explaining the importance of the flyovers, said it would raise the standard of the two cities to modern status.
He however said that the project was yet to be awarded as it was yet to go through the Tenders’ Board.
“That is what is done in modern cities across the world; fly-overs raise the standard of the city. And you would notice a lot of traffic gridlock at the Effurun Roundabout. When this is done, the traffic situation would have been solved and ensure that man hours are not lost to traffic by potential investors while also checking insecurity,” he said.
Meanwhile, N63 million has been approved for the routine maintenance and running cost of the budding Asaba Airport for the period of one year.
According to the State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, the cost has already been incurred by the contractor.
Ogeah who said exco ratified the amount contained in the memo brought by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, maintained that the airport remained the cheapest to be constructed in the country.
He disclosed that the state would further immortalise the memory of late Mrs. Marian Babagida as the council ratified the building of the Marian Babagida Women Centre at the cost of N681 million in Asaba.
The former first lady and wife of ex-President Ibrahim Babagida had the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Road in Asaba named after her when she was buried about five years ago.
Rationalising the N261 million ratified by council for the furnishing of the Exco Chambers at the new Government House, Asaba, Ogeah said the price was “conservative and not on the high side at all.”
“It would be equipped with the state of the art facilities including computers, acoustics and others. In fact, it will be a high-tech executive council chambers,” he added.