By Oweifa Livinus
The current Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, is a passionate leader and a man with immense capacity. Criticisms are though part of democracy, Diri remains a governor that is well focused on the development of the state with many ongoing and completed projects as well as other programmes under his administration.
The N200,000.00 monthly youth and women empowerment programme is also reaching every corner of all the 105 wards in the State.
Clearly, he is a man who understands the immediate challenges of the people. Development is in phases and the governor took over the mantle from where the last administration stopped. It was a good thing that the derivation funds started coming into the state and that greatly made it possible to take on the many construction work.
The Prosperity Government is completing inherited projects from the immediate past government and revisited projects abandoned by the Timipre Sylva’s administration. Under the Sylva’s administration for instance, billions of Naira were paid out for the Glorydrive from Ecumenical centre with nothing to show.
Even the Nembe-Brass road, some billions were believed to have been released by the Sylva administration with no serious work done. It is the current Prosperity Government that has revisited these projects and they are well on course.
Bayelsans are very much appreciative of the many successes so far recorded by this government: the completed Igbedi road, Nembe Unity road, Elebele bridge, New Yenagoa City road, Imiringi bridge, several Internal roads within Yenagoa, new school buildings and health facilities. These are verifiable projects. It is most wicked to say this government has not worked.
The Douye Diri-led administration is on the right track and by the 3rd anniversary, more projects and programmes will come on stream.
This government is strategically opening up Yenagoa, the State capital with the two new roads coming from the entry points in Igbogene- The Glorydrive from Ecumenical centre and the Igbogene-AIT/Elebele outer ring road. With these two major roads near completion, a new and expanded Yenagoa is emerging.
The commitment of the present administration to complete the ongoing three Senatorial District roads linking up several communities to the State Capital is not only ambitious but will open up the state to new opportunities in the maritime domain.
Today, in the Bayelsa West senatorial road, over 80 percent of the Sagbama-Ekeremor road has been asphalted and vehicles can now drive safely to Ekeremor main town. This is historic for communities on that stretch- Toru-Orua, Angalabiri, Ofoni, Ayamasa, Aleibiri, Isampou and then Ekeremor main town. It is same for other riverine communities whose travel time by water have been greatly reduced.
Then, in the Bayelsa Central Senatorial district, the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road is progressing and people of Southern Ijaw Local Government are indeed happy and have repeatedly appreciated the governor for the continuation of this project.
For the first time in their history, the people of the ancient town of Angiama and adjoining communities can now access their places by road. Yes, the people are emotional about this feat and remain very appreciative of this government with the excitement of the massive work going on to erect the bridge across River Nun linking Angiama to Oporoma town, headquarters of the Local Government Area.
Again, the Prosperity Government felt strongly that it was not fair enough to concentrate on the two senatorial roads to West and Central leaving out that for the East Senatorial district. That is a compassionate and considerate leader who deserve the support of all. That project is ongoing to the admiration of men and women of good conscience in Nembe land. This road will bring order, sanity and safety to travelers on that axis.
This is a government that has taken giant steps and has committed huge funds to the different projects. No reasonable person in Bayelsa State will say anything to the contrary. This is a working government touching lives and making right impacts.
Oweifa Livinus, is from Oporoma and writes from Yenagoa.
