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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, will on Thursday flag off construction of the Nembe-Brass road project in Bayelsa State.
The road which had been in the drawing board since the Second Republic was recently awarded to Setraco by the administration of Governor Douye Diri.
According to findings, the first phase of the road covering a distance of 21 kilometres with 10 bridges is estimated at N54.1 billion.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah quoted Diri to have told members of the State Executive Council meeting during its 79th state meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, that the project had a historic significance and economic importance to the state and the country.
The road when completed would provide access to Brass Island, host of the oil export terminal operated by oil major, Nigerian Agip Oil Company as well as the ongoing Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company project.
The governor called on well-meaning sons and daughters of the state as well as leaders of Bayelsa East Senatorial District to be present at the flag-off ceremony.
“Let me use this medium to invite and call on all of us from the eastern senatorial district, particularly communities in Nembe and Brass, as we kick-start the construction of this historic road project,” he said.
Ahead of the flag-off the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Moses Teibowei paid an advocacy visit to Nembe Local Government Area to meet key stakeholders including the traditional rulers.
Teibowei led a powerful delegation including members of the House of Assembly from the area to meet with His Eminence, King (Dr.) Edmund Daukoru, Mingi XII, Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, and Amayanabo of Opu-Nembe, King,HRM,(Dr.) Biobelemoye Josiah.
He also introduced the contractor, Setraco to the two traditional rulers with the assurance that the company will work closely with key stakeholders in the communities including the youths.
Teibowei said construction work would commence soon and that the visit has put to rest the rumours that the state government had abandoned the Nembe-Brass project.
Recently, flowing from threats to the smooth take-off of the road project which was giving the state government sleepless nights, Bayelsa elders from Nembe and Brass Local Government Area under the aegis of Nembe Se had set up a security committee to checkmate any threat to the road project.
Terms of Reference of the committee include collaboration with the traditional institutions and other key stakeholders to provide the needed intelligence to the Police, Joint Task Force and other conventional security agencies to ensure the smooth construction of the road and liaise with the state government to address security concerns as it affects the smooth constriction of the road project.
