Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri says his administration is committed to connecting Oporoma, headquarters of riverine Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, to the state capital by road before he leaves office.
Governor Diri, who spoke during a routine inspection of the 24-kilometre road project at Aguobiri, said the first phase to terminate at Angiama would be completed before the end of his first tenure.
The Yenagoa-Oporoma road, which was originally a Federal Government project, was taken over by the state government and inherited from the immediate past administration of Senator Seriake Dickson, had been on the drawing board for about 60 years.
The governor, who was conducted round the project by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Moses Teibowei, said he was satisfied with the progress recorded by the contractor and expressed the hope that it would be delivered as scheduled.
His words: “In this our first term, we are very sure that Southern Ijaw indigenes and all of us will drive to Angiama. Then we will lay the foundation for the bridge crossing the river into Oporoma.
“God willing, if we return, that bridge will also be completed. Which means that we will have an access road to Oporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
“The company handling the Yenagoa-Oporoma road, China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation, is doing well and keeping to the terms of the contract. We are all impressed by the job that is ongoing.
“But we won’t stop there as there are several communities beyond Oporoma. Our first target is to get to the headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. The same way we are working tirelessly to get to the headquarters of Ekeremor Local Government Area.”
Diri also asserted that all other ongoing construction work, especially the three senatorial roads, are his priority projects and would go the extra mile to partner multinationals in actualising them.
“So far, of the three senatorial roads, work is going on speedily in the West and Central districts but yet to commence in the East. The reason is known by all of us but as a government we want to start something there.
“We have done our best to involve the international oil companies there, particularly the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, and the Federal Government. But if the responses do not come as expected, I think we still have some surprises there.”
The governor and his team also made a brief stop at a section of the Igbogene-AIT outer ring road where the site engineer, Mr. Ralph George, promised that the section would be completed for commissioning during the second anniversary of the Prosperity Administration.