Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has faulted former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke’s declare that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is unbuildable due to the swampy terrain within the Niger Delta, citing roads and bridges constructed in related situations in his state.
Mr Diri, in an announcement issued by his spokesperson, Daniel Alabrah, and shared on Wednesday by the Bayelsa State Government’s new media platform, stated Mr Duke’s criticism didn’t mirror developments in infrastructure building within the area.
Mr Duke who’s the presidential candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party within the 2027 common elections, described the proposed highway as unbuildable in an interview on Arise News, arguing that the swampy terrain in Bayelsa would make its building troublesome and require quite a few bridges.
“The Lagos-Calabar Road is unbuildable. You cannot even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp. Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You will probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps,” the previous governor stated.
But Mr Diri argued that his administration had demonstrated the feasibility of establishing roads and bridges throughout the state’s troublesome terrain.
“I’ve seen the trending video clip of the previous Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, on an Arise Television programme.
“To say the least, I feel disappointed that former Governor Duke, who is from our region, made such a comment. Clearly, he is not abreast of current developments in road construction and infrastructure development in our state,” Mr Diri stated.
He urged that Mr Duke’s criticism may need been politically motivated, saying the previous governor had failed to think about the venture’s significance to the Niger Delta.
“In Bayelsa, we have successfully constructed dual carriage roads and bridges in similar terrain and our state is better for it,” he stated.
Mr Diri cited the Nembe-Brass Road, the Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge Road and the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road as examples of main highway initiatives traversing swampy terrain throughout the state’s three senatorial districts.
He additionally cited the 630-metre bridge throughout River Nun at Angiama neighborhood in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, describing it as one of many longest bridges within the area.
The governor additional referenced the dualised roads in New Yenagoa City and Glory Drive Phases One, Two and Three as proof that highway building was attainable within the state’s swamp and forest environments.
“Yenagoa is not what Duke described it. So, he is wrong. The Lagos-Calabar coastal road is buildable and possible,” he stated.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a 750-kilometre federal authorities venture designed to traverse 9 coastal states: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
Mr Diri stated the venture was crucial to unlocking financial alternatives and accelerating growth in communities alongside its route, significantly riverine communities which have lengthy confronted infrastructure challenges.
READ ALSO: Niger Delta Games: Governor Diri costs Team Bayelsa to defend title
He added that the highway was essential to the Ijaw individuals, noting that the Ijaw National Congress had advocated such a venture since its institution within the Nineties.
According to the governor, successive federal administrations had acquired calls for for the venture earlier than President Bola Tinubu’s authorities commenced it.
Mr Diri additionally stated his choice to hitch the ruling All Progressives Congress is as a result of the pursuits of his individuals ought to take priority over partisan concerns.
He cautioned politicians in opposition to politicising growth initiatives throughout election seasons, arguing that the results of such disputes had been typically borne by the identical residents whose votes they sought.
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