By Samuel Oyadongha

YENAGOA—THE recent confirmation of the election of Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson, by the Supreme Court has again rekindled optimism that construction work on the stalled Obogoro-Oporoma road project linking riverine Southern Ijaw Local Government Area to mainland Yenagoa, will pick up from where it left off.

The   council, which has   one of the largest crude oil clusters in the Niger Delta is also home to the oil majors, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL),   as well as several other oil servicing companies.

Indication that work on the road project like others embarked upon by the Dickson- led administration would resume was dropped by governor, penultimate week, when he was hosted to a grand reception upon his return to the state after his election victory at the nation’s apex court.

Dickson raises expectation

Dickson had during his triumphant return to Yenagoa, promised to complete all ongoing projects, start new ones and empower the people of the state by turning the state into the massive construction yard it was before the recent fall in revenue, as well as the distraction of litigation foisted on his administration by the opposition APC.

This was further reinforced by the recent completion of the Igbogene dual carriage bypass connecting the Gloryland Drive linking the Bayelsa end of the East-West and the Mbiama-Yenagoa road. The Obogoro-Oporoma road when completed would impact positively on the socio-economic well-being of people in the hinterland and improve the security situation in the area.

Project is precious to us- Villagers 

Some indigenes of the area, which for now could only access their ancestral home through the rivers, creeks and rivulets crisscrossing the council, told NDV that completing the road project would be the best legacy the Dickson administration would bequeath the people of the area for their unflinching support for the PDP- led government.

The decisive vote of the council area, they recalled, sealed victory for the PDP and sounded the death knell of the opposition party. “We are very optimistic that given the vigour put into the project by the present administration at the onset and with the election issue put to rest, the governor can now concentrate on his development agenda for the state as the state revenue picks up,” said Ebiowei John, an indigene of Southern Ijaw council area.

Another indigene, Eric Amaebi, said: “We have been waiting for years to see our area linked by road to no avail. However, this time around, we are just not optimistic; we are convinced that soon, we will drive down to our community like other Bayelsans in the upland councils given the assurance of the governor to complete projects it started.

“This is a project that is very dear to us and we are more than ever prepared to ensure its completion because of the socio economic benefit of the road to our communities, many of which are still rustic due to the high cost of moving in building materials.”

Property developers invade land 

NDV reliably gathered that the value of land on the vast stretch of swampy land along the road, which was hitherto low, has shot up sharply due to the invasion of the area by property developers, who are already tearing down the forest with a view to erecting structures.

A government official, who spoke anonymously, said the project was important to the “restoration agenda” of the administration, adding that it would  boost the ongoing efforts to diversify the state’s mono product economy.

“Here in Bayelsa state, we have the least number of federal roads, the least federal infrastructures and presence in terms of infrastructures. We have less than a 100-kilometre of federal roads, which could best be described as sad commentary of the nation flawed federalism.

“The Federal Government should as a matter of urgency assist the state financially due to the strategic nature of the project and the huge capital outlay involved. Moreover, the road had been on the federal government drawing board for several decades until the state government picked up the challenge to brave the oddities posed by the terrain,” he noted.