The Bayelsa State government claims that it is making every effort to repair all the roads that were destroyed and cut off by the devastating floods of 2022 as well as to extend and upgrade the state’s network of road infrastructure.
This was said in an interview with newsmen by the commissioner for information, orientation, and strategy, Ayibaina Duba, during an inspection tour of the state’s highways that were being renovated and built.
Duba, who conducted the evaluation visit with Moses Teibowei, his counterpart in the works and infrastructure department, said it was regrettable that some local governments had not yet been connected by roads since Bayelsa was split off from the former Rivers State in 1996.
Some of the project sites include the Onuebum-Otuoke road, which connects Bayelsa East senatorial district; Imiringi road; Elebele road diversion where two iron bridges are being replaced with concrete culverts; Opokuma-Sabagreia road; Amassoma road (with three large culverts); Igbedi road extension; and the Outer Ring road as well as Labour Centre Complex building in the state capital.
He claimed that the government of the state, led by Governor Douye Diri, was “responsible and sensitive” to the worries of the populace and would not give up on its pursuit of its goals.
Duba said, “We are doing this because, as we have always maintained, we want to link up Bayelsa State. The state was created in 1996 and it is sad that with what we contribute to the Federation there are still local governments that are not connected by road network.
“And as a responsible and responsive government, we feel that that is unacceptable. We must link up these communities with roads. It is something that we, as a government, want to do for the good of the people, and we will continue to do those roads. We won’t stop until we get it achieved.”
The Works and Infrastructure Commissioner provided additional details, stating that the Governor Diri-led state executive council made the decision to build and renovate road infrastructure.
Teibowei, while explaining the scope of work at the Onuebum-Otuoke road, said: “It is a road that is flooded perennially, and we decided that there is the need to elevate the road from its present level to about two meters height, provide culverts where necessary to ensure that it is not going to be flooded and will be used by the people on continuous basis whether it is flood or dry season.”
He continued, “On Sagbama-Ekeremor road, before and after Bolou-Orua, we are working there to also ensure that remedial work is done so that we don’t have problems by the next flood season.
“We are also going to do the one (road) from Sagbama to Tungbo; the contract has not been awarded but costings have been done and we believe that next week contract will be awarded to also rehabilitate that portion of the road from Sagbama to Tungbo.
“There are also other jobs that are going on in different locations of the state. There are new projects that have been approved by the state executive council, which will go to the Central Procurement Board for the award of contacts.”
Teibowei further stated that the contractor for the Trofani road had mobilised to the site for corrective work while the government had costed internal routes within the Yenagoa metropolitan for repair work.
He expressed confidence that all of the projects would be finished by July of this year at the latest, and he added that the administration would soon inform the public of the total number of kilometres of main roads and internal roads being constructed.
