We’re Committed to Connecting All Parts of Bayelsa by Road, Says State Govt

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Government has stated that the priority of the present administration is to ensure that every local government area of the state is accessible by road.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ayibaina Duba, made this known in Yenagoa yesterday at the Correspondents’ Forum, a platform by the Federated Correspondent’s Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State Council, as activities intensify to mark the third anniversary of the Governor Douye Diri-led administration.

The commissioner noted with regret that since Bayelsa State was part of the old Rivers State which was created in 1967, many communities in the area were never accessible by road.

Duba, said determined to reverse the trend, the Diri-led administration’s focus is hinged on construction of key road projects to connect most of the communities along the coast.

He explained that at the moment, three local government area headquarters of Brass, Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor are not accessible by road, hence the decision by the governor to allocate resources to fund ongoing construction works on the Nembe-Brass, Yenagoa-Oporoma and Sagbama-Ekeremor roads to link communities in the three senatorial districts.

He said: “For over 50 years when we were in the old Rivers State, the impression that was given was that there was no land to even construct any road to Ekeremor.

“It’s not because there is no likely access to these communities, particularly the local government headquarters. Some few days back, I went to Ekeremor and I drove through the road to Ekeremor, not to talk of Oporoma.

“As far as the Prosperity Government is concerned, Governor Diri is committed to end that. It must end with him.

“Like Agge is in the Atlantic Ocean, we have come to realise that it’s possible to have a road to Agge. Look at what we are doing in Nembe/Brass. Agip has its base there for many years. The terminal is there, that is where crude oil is sold to the international community but there is no road there.

“One of the greatest things we want to achieve is to make sure that Bayelsa State is connected by road. Every local government must be linked by road.”

Duba explained that the Diri Administration was eager to continue and complete projects initiated by previous administration to fast-track the development of the state.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel, Bayelsa State Council of the NUJ, Mr. Tife Owolabi, explained that the correspondent forum was an initiative of the group to provide a platform for public office holders and key personalities to interact with members on policy and other national issues.

Meanwhile, activities to mark the 3rd anniversary of the Governor Diri administration commenced yesterday with the passing out of members of the Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps at the Peace Park, opposite the Government House in Yenagoa.