LAGOS FEBRUARY 14TH (URHOBOTODAY)- Out-going Minister of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe has affirmed that he resigned his office in order to pursue his political ambition contrary to speculations that he was sacked for alleged abused of office.
Orubebe also urged his successor, Mr Darius Ishaku, to complete the ongoing East-West road project before the end of 2014.
Orubebe was one of the four ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who was dropped from President Goodluck Jonathan cabinet on Feb. 12.
Speaking during the presentation of his handover note to his success, Orubebe thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for giving him the opportunity to serve the country, affirming that he resigned as minister to enable him pursue his political ambition in Delta state..
Ascribing the East-West road project as one of the land mark achievements of his ministry, the out going Minister disclosed that the ministry constructed 38 out of the 42 bridges designed for the road.
He said that the ministry also constructed over 900 culverts out of the 1,000 designed for the road and that the culverts spanned from 70 metres to 850 metres.
Orubebe recalled that the ministry of works awarded the contract at a sum of N350 billion in 2006 and the idea was to complete the project in 2010.
He said that the Federal Government released a sum of N1.2 billion to the contractors, adding that his ministry inherited the project in 2009 without drawings and designs for the road.
Orubebe said that the ministry re-started the project by beginning with drawings and designs for the road.
He said when he was the minister of state during President Umaru Yar’Adua, he led a government team to the creek in Niger Delta to meet with militant leaders for peace talk.
Orubebe said that the peace talk spearheaded by the minister of Niger Affairs brought amnesty, peace and oil production increase in the area.
He also enumerated his achievements to the skills acquisition training programmes for 2,000 youths and take-off grant given to them by the ministry.
Orubebe said that the ministry was constructing skills acquisition centres in nine states of Niger Delta region, adding that the skills centre at Otueke in Bayelsa would be inaugurated in the next two months.
He said that the ministry developed an action plan for Niger Delta development, saying that the plan was to bring all the development agencies together to avoid the duplication of projects in the area.