February 09, (THEWILL) – The Bayelsa State Government has reiterated its desire to ensure that every Local Government Area of the State is accessible by road.
Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mr. Ayibaina Duba, disclosed this in Yenagoa, at the correspondents’ forum organised by the Federated Correspondents’ 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 despite Bayelsa State being part of the Old Rivers State, which was created in 1967, many communities in the area were never accessible by road.
Duba said the Diri-led administration is determined to reverse the trend, adding that the administration’s focus is hinged on the construction of key roads to connect most of the rural communities located along the coast.
He explained that at the moment, three Local Government Headquarters – 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.
“For over fifty 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, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, is committed to ending 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 had 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 that Bayelsa State is connected by road, every Local Government must be linked by road,” Duba said.
He also explained that the Diri administration was eager to continue and complete projects initiated by the previous administration, in order to fast-track the development of the State.
Earlier, Chairman of the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel, Bayelsa State Council of the NUJ, Mr. Tife Owolabi, explained that the correspondents’ 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 Governor Douye Diri’s administration began on Thursday, with the Passing out of Members of the Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps at the Peace Park, Opposite Government House, Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa Health Insurance administrative building was also inaugurated by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, at the Secretariat Complex, Yenagoa, as well as the Transport Terminal at Igbogene, by the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson
Other activities include the launch of the Glory Drive (Igbogene Airport Road) by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, next Monday, while the 3rd-anniversary dinner takes place at Chief DSP Alamieyesigha Banquet Hall, Government House Ovom, Yenagoa.
On Monday, February 20th, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will formally inaugurate the completed Sagbama-Ekeremor Road Project.
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