Bayelsa to Inaugurate over 20 Projects to Mark Diri’s Second Anniversary

Olusegun Samuel

No fewer than 20 roads, educational, health, media and agricultural projects would be inaugurated during the second anniversary in office of the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on February 14.

The projects included those inherited from the past administration and completed in the last one year and others initiated by the Diri’s government during same period.

A statement explained that the anniversary activities would commence a week before February 14 and expected to continue till the end of the month due to the number of projects lined up for inauguration.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was expected to flag-off a bridge project across River Nun at Angiama linking Oporoma, headquarters of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Diri, at the weekend, inspected some of the projects at various stages of completion.

They included the Yenagoa-Oporoma road, Bayelsa State Mega Media Complex for Radio Bayelsa, Niger Delta Television and the Bayelsa Newspaper Corporation.

Others were the Igbedi road, Glory Drive road, Bayelsa Transport Terminal at Igbogene, Phase One of the Igbogene/AIT Ring Road, the Elebele bridge, the Onopa bridge and its access roads.

The statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, explained that the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, disclosed that between 20 and 30 projects in various sectors would be ready for commissioning.
Teibowei said the contractors have been mobilised and mandated to complete the projects

within specific time in readiness for their commissioning.

He said: “Between 20 and 30 projects should be ready, not only in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure but also in education, health, agriculture and other sectors.

“My target is to complete assigned projects and I strongly believe that some of the projects visited will be completed.”

Diri, who commended the Works Commissioner, described him as a capable hand with a competent team.

He stated that based on reports he received on the progress of work, he decided to have first-hand knowledge of what had been achieved so far.

His words: “What I have seen is quite commendable. You know I have a very capable hand in the Ministry of Works and very competent monitors.

“I have been receiving reports. I came myself to confirm the reports that I have received so far.

“What we have seen is very commendable and we are sure that the targets will be kept.”

The statement disclosed that a jubilant crowd welcomed the governor and the inspection team at Angiama, a riverine community in Southern Ijaw local government area, who saw cars for the first time when the road project got to the community.

“The people could not hold back their joy on seeing the governor and his convoy and showered praises on him for the Yenagoa-Oporoma road project, which was inherited from the immediate past administration in the state,” it added.

The Bayelsa Central Senatorial District road is one of the federal projects in the state that had been on the drawing board for over 50 years before the state government undertook its construction.

The other federal projects are the Nembe-Brass and Sagbama-Ekeremor roads.

The Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Abraham Ingobere, who was also on the governor’s entourage, equally expressed satisfaction with the quality of work by the different contractors.

Ingobere said it was the Assembly’s duty to approve funds for execution of projects just as it was in their place to monitor such projects to ascertain value for money.

The PDP, therefore, called for the immediate and unconditional release of its state publicity secretary as well as other innocent Nigerians reportedly detained in various facilities in the state.

As a party, the PDP urged President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser and the Police High Command to immediately step into the situation, which is a serious threat to the security of Ebonyi State in particular, and that of the nation.

This, it said was because any breakdown of law and order in Ebonyi State would have a ripple effect on the fragile security situation in the entire South East region of the country and beyond.

The statement stated in part: “Governor Umahi must be called to order. He must learn to live with the consequences of his ill-advised decision. He committed a political suicide by joining a party of ‘political bandits’ and ‘warlords’, where he has no future and should not vent his frustration on other Nigerians.”