The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has sent an SOS to the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, passionately appealing to him to urgently turn his attention to thePort Harcourt-Enugu Express Road, which it said has become a death trap and a disgrace to Nigeria. The SOS was contained in a congratulatory message by Rivers APC signed by the Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya.
The party in a statement issued on Wednesday in Port Harcourt said, “The news of the appointment of Babatunde Fashola, SAN, erstwhile Governor of Lagos State, as a Super Minister of Works, Power and Housing did not come to us as a surprise because we are well aware of his credentials as an achiever who turned around the infrastructural fortunes of Lagos for the better. With this appointment, President Muhammadu Buhari has not only demonstrated his foresight and deep knowledge of the capabilities of his ministers but has also demonstrated that he is truly desirous to bring the much desired change to Nigeria and Nigerians. We therefore congratulate Mr. Fashola and wish him the wisdom and strength to turn around Nigeria’s fortunes in the areas of power, works and housing.”
Rivers APC noted that while the importance of power in creating a strong economy and reducing the worrisome unemployment and crime rates in the country cannot be over-emphasised and the crisis in the housing also deserves attention, a greater emergency exists in the area of roads. “Federal roads across the country are now death traps sending Nigerians to their early graves. Perhaps the worst of these roads is the Port Harcourt/Enugu Expressway, which was deliberately allowed to decay by the immediate past Federal Government under the watch of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan just to punish the people of Rivers State for stoutly opposing his third term bid,” the party observed. It consequently pleaded with Fashola to make the fixing of the Port Harcourt – Enugu Express Road and completion of the East/West Road as a top priority.
The statement noted that that while Fashola has been given an assignment which no one should envy, he is equal to the task because he thrives more in difficult circumstances. It ended with an advice to Fashola: “Our Dear Minister, if you are to better understand the death traps bequeathed to Nigerians as federal roads by the PDP through Dr. Jonathan’s administration, you have to henceforth ban yourself from flying any aircraft except on emergencies. This is necessary if you are to better appreciate the enormous task in your hands and be sufficiently moved to act fast to save Nigerians from the carnage that takes place on most of the federal roads on a daily basis.”