From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa Elders under the umbrella body of Nembe Se Congress have commended Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri over the award of contract for phase one of the Nembe/Brass road covering 21 kilometres with 10 bridges in the Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas of the State.
The Nembe Se congress, which is an umbrella body of prominent Nembe Indigenes and scholars, noted that the decision by Governor Diri to award the contract after an interface with the elders of the area showed that he is a listening administrator with the mutual interest of the people at heart.
The group in a statement issued on Thursday in Yenagoa and signed by its President, Prof. Monday Godwin-Egein, the pioneer President/Patron, Emeritus Prof. Ebiegberi.J.Alagoa, the Pioneer Vice President/Patron, Prof. Y.O.Beredugo, Vice President, Chief Howells Waribugo Aburuku, Chairman, Okpoama Kingdom Council of Chiefs, High Chief Sam Inikio Sele-Dede, Ex-Officio1, Prof. Kingsley Danekete Alagoa, Legal Adviser, Mr Iniruo Wills, the Publicity Secretary, Rev. Godfrey Otiotio, Chief Bio Ibogomo Gbeyasa, Chief Ebiegberi Domo-Spiff Jonathan and the General Secretary, Mr Allen Hope Jonah, said the people of Nembe and Brass Local Government Area are grateful to the state government for taking the much-dreaded bull by the horn to execute the Nembe-Brass road by placing it as first-line charge project of the Government.
According to it, the approval of the construction of the road and the choice of Steraco as the contractor is cheering news worthy of commendation.
They however pleaded for close supervision to ensure strict adherence to the approved plan noting that on the part of Nembe Se, they assure the government to “embark on aggressive advocacy campaigns to ensure that the project is completed in a safe environment and on time.”
The statement read in part, “That it cannot be overstated that the Nembe/Brass road alignment leads to and cut across kingdoms and communities that play host to Government Oil and Gas critical assets of high strategic national economic interest and when completed it will enhance Government’s efforts to effectively enforce coordinated surveillance and security in the Niger Delta region where major oil and gass national critical assets are located.
“Therefore the Nembe Se Congress urged the Federal Government through relevant agencies to make adequate budgetary provisions and partner with the State Government to expeditiously execute and complete the road within record time. “