The Minister of Works, David Umahi, refuted claims that the recent rehabilitation of the Eleme section of the East-West Road was connected to the tragic incident last Friday.
Allub Times reports that a tanker explosion led to the loss of five lives and the destruction of 120 vehicles in Rivers State last week.
Umahi, while speaking to the media during his visit to the site of the fatal accident, emphasized the need for improved road safety measures. He suggested implementing checkpoints to monitor substance abuse among drivers.
The minister, who has come under fire for accusing opposition leader and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, of inciting Igbo against the Tinubu-led government, dismissed the accusations made by the president of a local group, who blamed the federal government and the construction company for the incident, calling them misguided and inflammatory.
In his words:
“There is a bridge there that we are reconstructing, and the diversion we created last year is over 16 meters wide, which is where vehicles are currently routed.”
The minister explained the extensive construction work done to make sure the road lasts, such as making significant structural improvements to handle heavy traffic and poor soil conditions.
“The 15 kilometers road dualized for six lanes is about the heaviest traffic road in the country. We are implementing a robust design to ensure it lasts a minimum of 100 years considering the load it’s carrying,”
