Bayelsa govt. expends over N174b ongoing road projects

Bayelsa state government has promised to link all the riverine communities in the state by road to unearthed economic potentials in the coastal areas and give the residents a new lease of life.

Since the creation of Bayelsa in 1996 by the administration of the late head of state, General Sani Abacha, some of the local government areas including Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw and Brass were not connected to the state capital and other towns in the state by road until the administration of Governor Douye Diri, who has already extended roads to Ekeremor town and Angiama in Southern Ijaw, while work is ongoing to connect Brass through Nembe.

Leading newsmen on the tour of some of the road projects embarked by the state government yesterday, Director, New Media to Governor Douye Diri, Dr Kola Oredipe, said the priority of the prosperity government is to open up the riverine communities that are logged in water and ensure that the economic lives of the residents are more visible.

He said the government has already committed huge resources on the 42 kilometers Sagbama-Ekeremor road with the construction of about six bridges across the rivers on the stretch to link the communities in the local government, while asphalt work is about 80% completed to save the residents from rigorous travel from river to access other communities in the state.

He added that the 32 kilometers Yenagoa-Oporoma-Okubia road, to open communities in Southern Ijaw local government area is already in its last phase, as work is ongoing to cross the longest bridge on that stretch from Angiama across River Nun to Oporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw which has never been accessible by road.

He said: “A lot of work has been done between Toro-Orua and upto this point in Ekeremor town, we are in the last bridge linking Ekeremor town by road, we have asphalted upto Isampou community, and the remaining stretch is just Isampou community and Ekeremor main town, from Toro-Orua to Angalabiri, then we get to Ofoni and Ayamasa, and Aleibiri, you will see that about five communities and other communities inside, meaning that this road has provided access to several riverine communities in the state. With the way contractor is working, the road will be ready by February next year.

“We have constructed five bridges on the stretch leading to Ekeremor town already, supposedly we are on sixth one. The road is a 42 kilometer stretch from Toro-Orua upto Ekeremor main town, five bridges have already been completed by the government.

“The government is also working on the Gloryland drive in Yenagoa, 10.2kilometer dualized road, from Ecumenical centre upto Amossoma road, from there we also drove through Igbogene-AIT outer ring road, 21kilometer, the Igbogene axis has been completed, and were we are here in Angiama Community where the bridge is being constructed across River Nun to Oporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government, the priority of prosperity government of Senator Douye Diri is to open up the riverine communities that are logged in water.

“With these roads, several economic activities have been opened in those communities, here we are in Yenagoa-Oporoma-Okubia road, to open entire Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa state, we have already done 32 kilometers, we have done upto Ogobiri and we are in Angiama were a bridge will cross River Nun to Oporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA.
People here have been waiting anf praying for this road for more than 40 years, and this government is committed to ensure that they drive straight to Yenagoa.” He said.

A resident of Ekeremor town, Mr Charles, expressed happiness for being privileged to see the road linking the area for the first time in his life, saying the era of suffering in the river is over.

He said: “We have never seen road in Ekeremor local government, all our lives, we use canoe, if we want to travel to Yenagoa, we will first cross by boat to Bomadi in Delta before moving to our state capital in Yenagoa, but now, we are enjoying road, we can drive directly to Sagbama and then Yenagoa, so we are enjoying road here. Even if the it has not yet been completed, but we can get to several communities around us through this road.

“We are thanking God for using the governor to give us this road, at least our children can know how road looks like, and will not pass through the same suffering we passed through in the river when we were growing up, most people lost their lives in boat mishap or attack by hoodlums in the river, we are very happy we can now drive by road to Ekeremor.

“It was rigorous for us in those days because we were paddling from Bomadi in Delta, before you can get to Yenagoa, you can spend up to two days in a journey that will be less than two hours by road, my happiness knows no bounds because of this road, even if I have not seen anything from the government, but with this road, I’m contented all the time and entire Ekeremor local government are very happy over this road.

“With this road, our crops are easily move to town for sales compare to when it was left to be rotten when there was no road.” He said.

The road project inspected include; 42km Sagbama-Ekeremor road, which cost the state government N34.4 billion, 22.2km Yenagoa-Oporoma -Ukubie road which gulped N31.4 billion to open up Southern Ijaw LGA.

Others are; 21km
Igbogene-AIT/Elebele outer ring road expected to gulp N54.56 billion among others.