Bayelsa Government vows to complete big ticket road projects to connect creeks

By Odie Ramon.

Bayelsa State government says it will complete ongoing major projects aimed at linking rural communities with Yenagoa.

Director, New Media to Governor Douye Diri, Doctor Kola Oredipe gave the assurance while conducting journalists through an assessment tour of ongoing road projects.

Among the road projects inspected were the Bayelsa West and Bayelsa Central Senatorial roads aimed at linking communities in Sagbama and Ekeremor as well as Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas with the State capital.

During the assessment tour, there were indications that construction works was in progress on the Bayelsa Central Senatorial Road which is the 22.2 kilometer Yenagoa-Oporoma -Ukubie road due to gulp thirty-one point four billion Naira (N31.4 billion) to link Yenagoa with Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and many other adjoining communities located deep in the creeks which are only accessible by river at the moment.

Addressing journalists at Angiama where a 620 meter long bridge is being constructed to cross the River Nun to Oporoma, the Director New Media to Governor Douye Diri, Doctor Kola Oredipe said the project which the Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo performed the ground breaking ceremony earlier this year is expected to be completed in two years time as the pillars for the bridge were being mounted just as the Governor had directed the award of contracts for road projects to neighbouringcommunities such as Eniwari, Ondewari and Otuan.

‘While other States have their priorities, for us in Bayelsa, our aim is to open up several communities that are locked up in the rivers and creeks. The Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie Road is the one that is opening up the entire Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. This is headquarters of the Council area but for such a long time, Oporoma is not connected by road and it is this government that is taking this road there across the River Nun. It is about 22km. This administration took it over from Ikebiri  community and it has gone up to Aguobiri, where we have a bridge that is standing . From that bridge over the Silver River, we have been able to access Angiamacommunity. People here have been waiting for this road for over forty years.They are very excited that finally the road has reached Angiama, and we are taking it further. As you can see for yourself, the pillars for the bridge to cross the River Nun to Oporoma is being constructed, and thereafter roads would be constructed inside Oporoma as the Governor has directed for road contracts for Otuan, Eniwari and Ondewari communities’, Dr. Oredipe said.

Earlier inspected during the assessment tour was the 21 kilometer Igbogene-AIT/Elebele outer ring road that connects Yenagoa to Ogbia valued at over fifty-four point five billion Naira (N54.56 billion)  and the 10.2km dual carriageway Glory Drive road from the Ecumenical Centre at Igbogene to the Tombia-Amassoma road .

Dr Oredipe told journalists that clearing works had been completed on first phase of the Nembe-Brass road with sand filling to commence soon on the project conceived to have 10 bridges at a cost of fifty-four billion Naira (N54 billion).

On the 42km Sagbama-Ekeremor road, valued at a cost of thirty-four point four billion Naira (N34.4 billion) the Director, New Media explained that five bridges were built by the current administration in addition to two others done by previous government, stressing that the people of Ekeremor Town and other communities in Bayelsa West Senatorial District can now drive to their areas.

‘You could see the stretch of the Ekeremor road, it has opened up communities from Toru-Orua to Angalabiri, Ofoni up to Ayamasa, Aleibiri , Isampou. You can just imagine the number of communities and people who used to travel by water. But today, they can travel by road to their communities . So, it has opened up a lot of communities in the area. We are taking it further to Aggeand I am sure at the appropriate time , the government will take that decision. That is the story we are telling Nigerians that this government is giving hope to Bayelsans. We mean business when we say it is massive infrastructure everywhere. And you can see that we are also trying to expand the State capital, Yenagoa City through the Glory Drive and Outer Ring Roads . By the time those two roads are completed, you can be sure that we will have new development areas in Yenagoa. So, the Prosperity Administration of Governor Douye Diri is committed to completing all the ongoing projects in the State’, he asserted.

Some locals in Ekeremor town including Madam Bolo-ere Lovely, 56 year old Teacher, Mr. Okpe Charles and Mr. Mie Selewari could not contain their excitement as they expressed gratitude to the State government for ensuring that the road project is now a reality.

Some other infrastructure projects embarked upon by the administration in the State  are the 4.5km Igbedi road, the State media complex, Elebele bridge, Imiringi bridge, Nembe Unity bridge, phase one of the Igbogene-Elebelering road, lecture halls and laboratories at the BayelsaMedical University, which were all completed and inaugurated during the administration’s second anniversary in February this year.