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 comparable circumstances in his state.
Mr Diri, in a press release 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 development within the area.
Mr Duke who’s the presidential candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party within the 2027 normal elections, described the proposed highway as unbuildable in an interview on Arise News, arguing that the swampy terrain in Bayelsa would make its development 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 setting up 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 prompt that Mr Duke’s criticism might need been politically motivated, saying the previous governor had failed to contemplate 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 street 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 street development was doable 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 important to unlocking financial alternatives and accelerating improvement in communities alongside its route, significantly riverine communities which have lengthy confronted infrastructure challenges.
READ ALSO: Niger Delta Games: Governor Diri charges Team Bayelsa to defend title
He added that the highway was vital 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 obtained calls for for the venture earlier than President Bola Tinubu’s authorities commenced it.
Mr Diri additionally stated his resolution to affix the ruling All Progressives Congress is as a result of the pursuits of his individuals ought to take priority over partisan issues.
He cautioned politicians in opposition to politicising improvement initiatives throughout election seasons, arguing that the results of such disputes have been typically borne by the identical residents whose votes they sought.
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