Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently address the dire condition of the Okogbe axis of the East-West Road in Rivers State. Governor Diri’s plea followed a two-hour delay he experienced at the problematic section of the road on his way to the Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt.
The governor expressed his concern after witnessing commuters and vehicles stranded for over a week due to the poor state of the road. He criticized the contractor responsible for the culvert project, accusing them of lacking the necessary capacity and calling for their removal to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians.
Governor Diri also urged South-South legislators in the National Assembly to prioritize the completion of the East-West Road in their legislative agenda. He emphasized the strategic importance of the road, which connects all South-South states, and described the current situation as both pathetic and unacceptable.
“The region that lays the golden egg for the country deserves better than the pitiable state of this road,” Diri stated, urging the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, to visit the affected areas to witness the conditions firsthand.
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Governor Diri recalled the severe damage caused by the 2022 floods, which also impacted Bayelsa State. He noted that within a year, Bayelsa had repaired all the damaged roads in more than four local government areas and questioned why the federal government had allowed the East-West Road repairs to drag on.
In a discussion with Mr. Kingsley Onyema, the project supervisor from Rock Result, the company handling the project, Governor Diri criticized the decision to work on both lanes simultaneously instead of making one lane passable for motorists. He urged the contractor to expedite the work and called for patience from the affected people.
“It is chaotic, pathetic, and unbelievable that this is happening to an oil-producing area that lays the golden egg for our country,” Diri lamented. “The Federal Government must take urgent action. The Minister of Works needs to come here and see things for himself, not rely on second-hand information.”
Governor Diri expressed his frustration with the prolonged state of disrepair and implored President Tinubu to ensure that relevant officials expedite the completion of the project. He stressed that there seemed to be no coherent plan from the contractor and insisted on their dismissal to facilitate progress.
