The Bayelsa State government says it is working hard to fix all the roads that were cut off and damaged by the catastrophic 2022 floods as well as improve and expand the network of road infrastructure of the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ayibaina Duba, stated this in an interview with newsmen after an inspection tour of the roads under rehabilitation and construction in some parts of the state.
Duba, who, together with his Works and Infrastructure counterpart, Moses Teibowei, carried out the assessment tour, said it was sad that some local governments were yet to be linked by roads since 1996 when Bayelsa was carved out of the old Rivers State.
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 said the Governor Douye Diri-led administration was “responsible and responsive” to the concerns of the people of the state and would not relent in its effort to achieve targets.
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.”
Shedding more insight, the Works and Infrastructure Commissioner said the decision to construct and re-construct road infrastructure was taken and approved by the state executive council presided over by Governor Diri.
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 also said that the government had carried out costings of internal roads within the Yenagoa metropolis for rehabilitation work, while the contractor for the Trofani road had mobilised to the site for remedial work as well.
He expressed confidence that all the jobs would be completed latest July this year, adding that the administration would in a few days make known to the public the total kilometres of major roads and internal roads being undertaken.
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