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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Government has embarked on rehabilitation of roads damaged by the 2022 flooding in line with its promise to residents of the state.
The government said it has started they rehabilitation of affected roads across the state to ensure movement of goods and services are not hampered.
Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, who stated this during a tour of the affected roads in company with his counterpart in the Information, Orientation and Strategy Ministry, Ayiba Duba, at the weekend, expressed optimism that by July, the rehabilitation works on the roads would have been concluded.
Teibowei restated the commitment of the government to ensure the state is linked through roads to accelerate development.
“We started with a visit to Onuebum/Otuoke site from there, we moved to Imiringi/Elebele road where we made some diversions because in that road, we were having regular accidents and we are replacing the iron bridges with concrete culverts. From there, we went to Opokuma/Sabagraei road and to Amassoma road.
“In all the locations, work was ongoing and we believe work will be completed by July at the latest. We also visited the Igbedi extension. We are doing over two kilometres of additional road after the government has done 4.5 kilometres which was commissioned last year.
“We also visited the outer ring road sections 2 and 3 and there are other jobs going in different locations of the state.
“The Onuebum /Otuoke road is always flooded perennially and we decided there is a need to elevate the road from its present level to two meters height and so we are removing the asphalt.
“We are going to sand fill up to two meters height and provide culverts where necessary to ensure it is not going to be flooded going forward,” he said.
Teibowei, who disclosed the state government would hold a press conference to intimate Bayelsans of new contracts awarded by the state executive council, said all projects would be completed before the rainy season sets in.
Also, Duba commended Bayelsans for believing in the Governor Douye Diri-led administration, stressing the government would ensure development across the state.
“We have always maintained we want to link up Bayelsa State and the roads need to be constructed. More projects have been approved we are doing this because Bayelsa was created since 1996 and this is bad that with what we contribute to the federation, there are still local governments that are not connected by road network and as a responsible government, we feel it is unacceptable and we must link up these communities with roads.
“It is something we, as a government, want to do for the people and we will continue to do those roads. We won’t stop until we get it done and achieved.”
