The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has disclosed that, the high cost of construction materials will not deter his administration’s commitment to development of the state. The ongoing projects were a priority of the government and assured that cost variations will not affect them nor stop us
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, made this known during an unscheduled inspection visit to both the Nembe-Brass and the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road projects.
“Development cannot be arrested as a result of high cost of materials. The contractors will come up with the cost variation and the Ministry of Works will look at it, evaluate and assess it and agree on the amount due to variation. So, we will surely and steadily continue the construction of this road to Brass. I am very satisfied with the pace of work. This shows that we have never played politics with the development of this state as all parts of the state is our constituency”, he stated.
Diri appreciated the Federal Government for its commitment to partner with the state on the project, also disclosed that, he had met with the President, Bola Tinubu twice in this regards, and he has directed the Federal Ministry of Works to collaborate with the state government on construction of the second phase of the road. Therefore, the collaboration with the federal government is looking very good and has already started.
He expressed satisfaction with the pace of work on the 21km first phase of the project, which has 10 bridges, saying in this second tenure, he looks forward to vehicles driving to Brass town.
Diri noted that, the rehabilitation work on the failed portions of the Ogbia-Nembe road had stopped, he called on the Niger Delta Development Commission, which embarked on the remedial work before last year’s governorship election, to ensure it is completed.
In his remarks, the Setraco Project Manager in charge of Bayelsa and Delta states, Mr. Joseph Cosme, explained that, the company had achieved 65 percent sand-filling of the road while almost 2.5km of the sand-cement and stone-base had been completed as well.
While inspecting the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road project, the governor dispelled insinuations that his administration continued the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District road due to political consideration.
Speaking at the bridge construction site at Angiama community, Diri described the road as crucial to development of the state, saying it is unthinkable for headquarters of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area not to be accessible by road.
He stated that the level of progress on the project even after the November 11 election was enough to change the minds of skeptics and critics of his administration, also lauded the people of Southern Ijaw for their support for the project and urged them to sustain the tempo.
Also speaking, some Southern Ijaw leaders, who accompanied the governor on the inspection, including leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Monday Bubou, newly appointed Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei and the Peoples Democratic Party Caucus Chairman, Talford Ongolo, all hailed him for his commitment towards completing the road and affirmed the gratitude of people of the area to the Prosperity Administration.
