Bayelsa State Government has said the priority of the Governor Douye Diri administration is to ensure every local government is accessible by road.
The Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mr. Ayibaina Duba, made this known in Yenagoa at the Correspondents’ Forum, a platform by the Federated Correspondent’s Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State Council, as activities are intensified to mark the third anniversary of the Diri 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 state had never been accessible by road.
Duba said determined to reverse the trend, Diri’s administration’s focus was hinged on construction of key road projects to connect most of the communities located along the coast.
He said at the moment, three local government headquarters of Brass, Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor were 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.
Duba said: “For over 50 years when we were in the old Rivers State, the impression 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.
“A few days ago, 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 and there is no road there.
“One of the greatest things we want to achieve is to make sure Bayelsa State is connected by road, every local government must be linked by road.”
He said the Diri administration was eager to continue and complete projects initiated by previous administrations to fast track the development of Bayelsa State.
The Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel (FCC), Mr. Tife Owolabi, said the forum was an initiative of the group to provide a platform for public office holders and personalities to interact with members on policy and other national issues.
Activities to mark the 3rd anniversary of the Diri administration began yesterday with the passing out of members of the Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps, at the Peace Park, opposite Government House, Yenagoa
There was also the inauguration of the Bayelsa Health Insurance Administrative Building by Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, at the Secretariat Complex, Yenagoa, and the Transport Terminal at Igbogene by former governor Senator Seriake Dickson.
Other activities include the launch of the Glory Drive (Igbogene Airport Road) by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, which will hold next Monday. The 3rd anniversary dinner will take place at the Chief DSP Alamieyesigha Banquet Hall, Government House Ovom, Yenagoa.
On February 20, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will inaugurate the completed Sagbama-Ekeremor road project.