By Samuel Oyadongha

EKEREMOR- RESIDENTS of 91 riverine communities and fishing villages in Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, whose means of reaching their native soil since the foundation of the world is by water, drove home in their vehicles this Christmas and New Year for the first time since they were born.

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Governor Dickson

It was a dream come true for the villagers who lingered for over 40 years when Federal Government from 1979-1983 under then civilian regime of the late President Shehu Shagari, raised and subsequently dashed their hopes on the Sagbama- Ekeremor road project.

NDV reliably gathered that the first set of vehicles actually entered Ekeremor last Thursday. The road project is expected to be completed for the usage of all kinds of vehicles before the present administration exits on February 14, 2020.

More communities are going to be linked up by road when the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road project is finally completed.

Though the Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDDC, took up the challenge by awarding the contract for the construction of the road, but it was stalled due to alleged poor funding of the commission.

Many residents had given up the Sagbama-Ekeremor road as an impossible project when the state governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, intervened last year, and took over the road project cutting across the difficult dense mangrove forest, rivers, rivulets and swamps.

The state government awarded the contract for the road, which requires several culverts and two major bridges to connect Aleibiri and Ekeremor main town to Setraco Construction Company in consonance with his campaign promise to push the frontiers of development in the state through road construction.

Unlimited joy

It was a moment of incomprehensible joy as men, women and children; young and old came out in their numbers to behold the queue of vehicles that came to Ekeremor community. They expressed gratitude to God for making it possible for them to witness vehicles drive into their community, headquarters of Ekeremor Local Government Area for the first time in history.

In the last few days, inhabitants of Ebedebiri, Angalabiri, Ofoni, Ayamasa Aleibiri, Ekeremor main town and several other fishing settlements  along the road in Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas, are celebrating the Bayelsa State Government for breaking the jinx.

We’ll reciprocate Dickson’s gesture– Ekeremor monarch

The traditional head of the community, HRH King Agbodo Gbaseimor said he was glad and fulfilled that it was in his time as the  Amananaowei that his domain became accessible by road, adding that his people will reciprocate Governor Dickson’s gesture and support him to consolidate on his achievements.

He commended the former Commissioner for Works, who test-ran the road, for the visit during the Yuletide.

“We now have road and you are personally here to pay me homage. You have done your part, it’s now our turn to reciprocate your gesture,” he told Ewhrujakpor during the visit.

Best Christmas gift – Pereowei, villager

An elated indigene of the area simply known as Pereowei, said: “This is the best Christmas gift we have ever received. Before now, the local government area can only be accessed by water.

“To cut down on the number of hours it takes to get to our community by water transport, we normally halve the journey by road through Bomadi in Delta State and complete the rest by water with its attendant hazard of sometimes running into sea rovers, kidnappers and other criminal elements.”

I lack words to appreciate Gov. Dickson– Belemu, inhabitant

Another native, Nemune Belemu said: “It is a thing of joy for me to have driven down to my community using my own vehicle. This is heart-warming. This road has been promised us since 40 years ago by previous administrations. The people of Ekeremor community owe Governor Dickson and the PDP our support and solidarity. I lack words to appreciate him.”

Dickson fulfils promise

An excited Dickson had during his historic visit to Aleibiri community promised to storm Ekeremor town, the council headquarters, only reachable through water at the time, by road, this December to celebrate Christmas with the people.

The villagers did not believe him, but true to the governor’s promise, it was his immediate past Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, a man who literally relocated to the dense mangrove, monitoring the progress of work to ensure that the December target set by his boss was accomplished, that last Thursday, stormed the riverside town of Ekeremor in style with his entourage in a convoy of cars.

Road targeted to hit Agge, Bayelsa seaport base

The road is one of the three senatorial roads in the state designed to connect all the communities in the West Senatorial District. Other senatorial road projects in the state are Yenagoa-Oporoma-Koluama Road to link the Central Senatorial District and Ogbia-Nembe-Brass Road for the East Senatorial District.

All of them were conceived and designed to link the state capital and all communities to the sea, where the wealth of the state is believed to be domiciled.

The main purpose of the Sagbama-Ekeremor project is to hit Agge, a riverine community that lies on the Atlantic fringe where the government has proposed to establish a Deep Seaport. From the inception of his administration in 2012, Dickson has continued to emphasize the importance of linking Bayelsa to the sea.