Bayelsa Govt Releases N3bn Back up Fund for Completion of Ogbia-Nembe Road

The Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has given December 2014 deadline for the completion of the multi-billion naira Ogbia-Nembe road in the East Senatorial District of the State, as he presents a cheque of N3bn as balance payment to the Management of SETRACO plc.

The contract was awarded few years ago by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in conjunction with the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC).

Presenting the financial instrument during the Monthly Transparency briefing on Wednesday at the Banquet Hall, the Governor said the timely completion of the project is dear to the heart of his administration, noting the relevance of the area to the economic growth of the State.

His words,’ the Ogbia-Nembe road is leading to a very critical area of our State and Country. That is the road that will lead us to Brass Island which is going to be the economic nucleus of not just our State and geo-political zone but for the whole of this Country and even for the West African sub-region.

‘But you can get there unless you first get to Nembe. I know that some efforts were made to try and do a road from Nembe to Brass but the first thing to do by any pragmatic Government is to see how you construct a road from Ogbia to Nembe before linking Brass Island. That is the practical way to go about it’.

While commending the efforts of SPDC and NDDC at breaking the fallow ground, the Governor noted that it has become more imperative for the State Government to intervene in order to alleviate the sufferings of the people in the area.
According to him, ‘I am aware that SPDC and NDDC have been partnering on that road and I want to commend them for that partnership. But the partnership that has been going on for so long is making our people impatient and rightly so because we need to at least drive to Nembe while waiting for it to get to Brass.

When I look at the situation and hear the complaints from that area and saw the sufferings of the people from that area and how on daily basis, innocent law- abiding people suffer indignities and inconveniencies and sometimes attacks from sea pirates and other bandits who take advantage of the creeks and rivulets in that area, it became clear that the government means well for our people must do something about it.

‘While we appreciate the partnership from our development partner particularly NDDC and SPDC for what they have started on that road; it is a good thing and we encourage it but because we know of the hitches and the reasons why that road has been delayed up till now and because we are committed to the development of our State, whether it is Federal road, partnership or so, we have a duty to support and drive it to completion because it is for the benefit of our people.

‘The Government, therefore, has decided to make available the sum of three billion naira. Now, our partners have been notified that this is a back up fund available because we want them to complete that road and put it to use next year.
‘We will tell our partners to still feel free to contribute their quota to an account that we will designate for them’.