President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) and its subsidiaries to deploy funds from the Tax Credit Scheme for the timely completion of Section 4 of the East-West Road.
Buhari gave the directive in Uyo while delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the meeting of the 5th National Council on Niger Delta with the theme ” Harnessing 21st-century development initiatives and strategies for greater development in the Niger Delta”.
The President, who was represented by the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, said that the project handled by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is the largest infrastructure in Nigeria and very dear to his administration.
He said: “Considering the priority this administration places on the completion of this project, the Ministry of Petroleum has directed NNPC and its subsidiaries to step in and fix section 4 of the East-West road ( Eleme Roundabout to Onne Junction), through the Tax Credit Scheme”
He said that his administration had undertaken critical reforms in the Niger Delta Development Commission and assured that a substantive board of the NDDC will be constituted.
He added: “One of the cardinal mandates of my admissions is to tackle corruption. To this end and in response to the call of the Governors of the South-South geopolitical zone for a Forensic Audit of NDDC from 2000- 2019, the Report of Audit had been submitted and the implementation of it recommendations has commenced in phases
” I hereby assure you that this process will eventually bring about the Constitution of the new board for the commission which is the desire of most stakeholders in the region”