From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri’s thank-you tour to the riverine Southern Ijaw Local Government Area on Friday brought sweet memories as a lawmaker from the area recounted the impact of the governor’s road projects on his constituents.
At a grand reception held at Oporoma, headquarters of the council, the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 3 in the House of Assembly, Hon. Moses Marlon, recalled the governor’s encounter with an aged woman after she saw cars in the governor’s convoy drive into her community, Angiama, for the first time in her life.
The legislator said seeing a car in the community threw the villagers into celebration with the women spreading their wrappers on the ground to welcome the Bayelsa governor.
He also narrated how a former chairman of the council shed tears of joy when a road constructed by the governor got to his community, Otuan.
This could be explained by the fact that until the Diri administration came on board, Angiama like Aguobiri, Otuan, Enewari, Oporoma and other communities in that axis of the local government area were only accessible by boat.
Marlon said: “Your Excellency, you recall the first time you drove to Angiama, you met an aged woman shedding tears and when you asked her why, she said it was the first time in her life seeing cars drive into the community.
“She said it was a privilege to see not just one car but a convoy of cars. And for me, it was like a miracle too when I drove to Angiama. It was like the experience of that woman. I also shed tears.”
He appreciated the governor for continuing construction of the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road and also approving construction of the Angiama-Enewari road as well as the road to Otuan community, and appealed to him to take the project further to neighbouring communities.
Narrating the history of the Central Senatorial road project, Senator Konbowei Friday (Bayelsa Central) said the people of Southern Ijaw waited for more than 60 years to see the dream come true.
Senator Benson equally recalled that during his time as Southern Ijaw council chairman, a prominent monarch in the area, King Joshua Igbugburu, was asked about the road when he returned from a meeting in Abuja and he replied that the project was in the pipeline.
He said the people were disappointed over the non-realisation of the project since the days of the defunct Eastern regional government.
The federal lawmaker, however, expressed delight that Governor Diri changed the narrative by breaking the jinx in the oil and gas-rich local government area, regarded as the largest in Nigeria.
In separate goodwill messages, the Reps member for Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, Hon. Rodney Ambaiowei, the Leader of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Obolo (Southern Ijaw 2), and Hon. Felix Bonny-Ayah (Constituency 1), said the local government has witnessed unprecedented development under the Diri administration.
They described the governor as the bearer of good news, who brought joy to people of the area.
Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, said it was common for governors in their second term to focus less on governance and more on politics.
He, however, noted that the Bayelsa governor was different and continues to demonstrate commitment to the development and advancement of the people and the state.
In a welcome address, the Southern Ijaw Council chairman, Target Segibo, thanked the governor for making the local government a construction site and for approving big tickets projects like the Angiama-Oporoma bridge, the Enewari road and other infrastructure positively impacting the lives of the people.
Responding, Governor Douye Diri explained that his administration was intentional about the roads and other projects under construction in Southern Ijaw.
He said to prove naysayers wrong that it was not politically-motivated, the 600-meter bridge project across the River Nun at Angiama would be completed by the end of this year and that cars would drive to Oporoma.
Pledging that his administration would not abandon any project, the governor said the roads from Angiama to Enewari and Otuan and other adjoining communities were being done to prove that the difficult, riverine terrain was not an excuse not to develop the area.
“We wasted no time from the beginning of our first term. After all the drawings and necessary engineering work were done on the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road project, we took it from where the former governor stopped.
“We first constructed the road to Aguobiri, constructed the bridge there, finished with the first phase of the road and took it to Angiama. So from then, the boat movement to Southern Ijaw changed from Ayama to Angiama.
“We said we were not done yet. The bridge at Angiama that everybody was afraid of, as it is over 600 metres long, we awarded that contract and the road from there to Oporoma. The spur to Otuan was not there when we started the bridge and when it had gone far, I also awarded that project.
“When we were to start the bridge, the naysayers said the governor was doing it because he had a second term ambition and that it was all politics. But we have put them to shame. I am sure that by the end of December this year we will drive to Oporoma.”
He also stated that government had approved a free tuition, feeding and boarding science and technical college for Oporoma.
The governor’s entourage earlier paid a courtesy visit to the Ibenanaowei of Bomo Clan and pioneer chairman of the state Traditional Rulers Council, King Igbugburu, and other royal fathers.
The governor was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Senator Benson Agadaga (Bayelsa East), Dr. Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency), Hon. Marie Ebikake (Nembe-Brass Federal Constituency), Dr. Mitema Obordor (Ogbia Federal Constituency) and Hon. Oforji Oboku (Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency) as well as state legislators.
Also present were the immediate past deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd), state chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Solomon Agwana, former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Gideon Ekeuwei, and other government functionaries.
