One of the things that Douye Diri, Bayelsa State governor has taken to heart in this first leg of his administration is road construction to link the state capital with the rural communities and open up the state for economic growth.
Since the creation of Bayelsa State, most of the community folks access the state capital, Yenagoa only by boats and at very high cost. A journey from the hinterland cost thousands of naira and for rural people who are largely poor, a burden they have borne with pain.
Their prayer was that one day, government would do the needful and link them by road, a dream now beginning to manifest. Most of the children in these rural communities like Aggey, Foropa, Ukebie, Angiama and Agoibiri never saw vehicles in their lives until recently. But they can expertly swim and paddle canoe to anywhere.
They can fish and comfortably be in the river for as long as they want.
The stilt-hut built on top of the river, is like a normal home for them. A stranger would shiver while the children run
around as if they are living in paradise.
But all these are now in the past for some of the communities while many others will soon follow suit as the Diri administration says it is working hard to make sure that its community transformation dreams are actualized.
For that reason, work on one important road, Angiama/Oporoma road that will link about 200 communities in Southern Ijaw has already got to as far as Agoibiri and is moving fast towards Oporoma. Also, the Igbogene/Tombia and the Ekeremor/Sagbama roads are some of roads that will be put in use next year.
The Angiama/Oporoma/ Ukubie 36km road was flagged off by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on February 14, 2022 and e work has been going on in earnest.
Just before the 2022 flood, this reporter took a trip to the construction site to see the level of job done and was amazed at what was on ground. The work has gone far beyond where it was during the last visit.
Speaking on the progress of the work, the Bayelsa State commissioner of Works, Moses Teibowei said the Angiama/Oporoma road will be completed within the next 24 months of the ‘Prosperity’ administration.
Speaking on Angiama/Oporoma road, the commissioner said significant progress has been made on the road adding that the project was progressing as scheduled.
He disclosed that Sagbama/ Ekeremor road construction has slightly gone beyond Ayamassa, and assured that all things being equal, those will be ready in 2024.
He said, “Already, the beams have been cast. So the next stage is to launch 25 beams to cross the river and remove the floating bridge there.
The commissioner however disclosed that the cost of the project has doubled.
He said he could not give a definite completion date. “The reason being that we are aware of the inflation trends of construction materials. Not only construction materials, even food items and so, the bill of engineering measurement and evaluation that gave us a specific figure for that bridge have almost doubled.
“So we are looking at the funding aspect of it so that we don’t disappoint ourselves. But I can assure you that we should be able to get to Oporoma in 24 months in the sense that even when the bridge crosses, we still have about six kilometers
to construct a motorable road to get to Oporoma.
“However, that will reduce the distance to construct a road to Otuan community on the right hand side when you cross and so we are looking at that. We are also looking at the possibility of awarding contract to commence that aspect vis-a-vis the bridge so that by the time the bridge will be through, we would have done significant work on the other side of it so that we will be able to link up”
The commissioner said the state government is looking at various options while also considering finance. “We are looking at different options and different possibilities. We strongly believe that we will be able to achieve it in the next two years maximum.
“Everything has been put in place so going further, we will not have any problems. I’m very confident that the company will keep to time as long as government does not disappoint in meeting up its own financial obligations to the company”
The road will also help control flooding, a major headache in Bayelsa State.
“The road itself will serve as a dike to prevent flooding and areas where there are creeks, we always make provisions for culverts and close to the bridge, there will be a carnal to take care of any flooding challenge”.
To the people of Angiama, he said, “I want to sincerely appreciate the Angiama community, from the paramount ruler to almost all of them, because they are appreciative of what the Prosperity Administration led by Douye Diri is doing for them. In the past, they have been going to their community through the river but today they can drive to their community despite the fact that the bridge crossing the Silva River has not been completed; they can still get to their community”.
The commissioner said the road is already attracting external interest in Angiama community. “Just recently, stakeholders from that community came to this office to encourage me and to say thank you to His Excellency and to encourage him to do more. They said that land value in Angiama has already increased and there is an influx of people to the community; that they don’t even have accommodation to rent to people”.
He said government is doing its best to ensure smooth transition of the community. “We also don’t want to play with their welfare. We don’t owe them in terms of compensation. And my visit to the community recently was to also inform them that the governor has approved the construction of the spur to Angiama community and the contractor has been so informed. They have already commenced work.
“They need to be happy because while the bridge construction will be going on, they will be driving to their communities. People going to Oporoma will drive to Angiama community and from there they will board speed boat to Oporoma which is less than five minutes.
“So they have every reason to be happy. As I speak to you, we are paying them compensation for the area that the company requested so that they will keep their equipment for purposes for construction. So, we don’t have any problems with them and that is why they need to be happy,” the commissioner stated.
At the construction site, one of the women that was peddling wares Madam Preye thanked the state government for the road construction stating that she can easily go to Swali Market now to buy her wares.
She said, “I thank the government for once remembering us and constructing a road to my community. We have been expecting this for the past 60 years. We now feel that we are part of the state. We thank Governor Douye Diri who made that possible”.
Madam Nanatimi Bruce, 30, appreciated Diri for making the road a reality. “I’m grateful to God for allowing me to see a road cross through my community in my life time.
“I had not been born when they awarded this road but any governor that comes, they will ignore the road. Governor Douye Diri constructed the road”.
Also speaking, Omoku Labor said they now feel a part of Bayelsa State. “We are very happy for this road that the Bayelsa State government is doing for us. We are very glad for the commissioner and the governor. Two of them did this road for us.
“It is now we know that government has Aguobiri at heart. It is now we know that we are part of Bayelsa.
“We thank the governor for making the road to get to our community. The old people are praying for him. Now some keke are entering the community because the road has got to the community from Yenagoa. Now people move to even Angaiama with Dyna van.”
He said the road construction has reduced transportation cost. “Before we were paying like N1,000 to go to Yenagoa but now we are paying only N500 or even N300.He (Gov. Diri) brought this canoe for people that are farming so that they can assess their farm lands”.
Also lending weight to the happiness story, Ayo Awe, the local chief security officer in charge of the road said, “The youths are happy because we have never seen this kind of thing before in our life. This miracle governor has done a lot of things; even our grand mothers are very happy. Even vehicles have now driven into our community because of the road that the miracle governor constructed for us.
“He has done it so that in future all the small crimes of entering people’s houses will reduce because of the road. All the youth are working now we are so glad, we are happy”.
