..says firm paid N16bn mobilisation
By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work on the 21km phase one of the Nembe-Brass road being constructed by the state government.

Diri stated this when he paid an unscheduled visit to the project site at Nembe.

The road, designed to connect Brass on the Atlantic shores by road, was initiated by the Diri administration.

The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, told the construction company, Setraco, that the project was important to his administration and people of the area.

He said the level of work done since the project commenced almost a year ago was not commensurate with the N16bn paid as mobilization out of the N54bn earmarked for the project.

Urging the company not to disappoint his administration, the governor said he does not want anyone to adduce or play politics with the project.

“I am not comfortable with the level of sand filling that you have done so far. We have timelines for this project and I do not want anybody to ever think that we are playing politics with this road.

“We know why we awarded this contract. We know the importance of this road leading to Brass and I do not want you as contractors to disappoint the government. That is why we came here to make the point that this road means a lot to us.

“This contract was awarded for the first phase for about N54bn and your mobilization was 30 per cent, which amounts to N16bn. Government has paid the N16bn but the work done is not commensurate with the mobilization that you have received.

“The next time we come here, we want to see this whole place sand-filled. Take this very seriously.

“You are a very serious company and you have been working with this government. You did the Sagbama/Ekeremor road and now you are on this important road. So I expect that you will not disappoint us,” he said.

Responding, the Setraco Area Manager for Bayelsa and Delta States, Engr. J. J. Cosme, promised to increase the pace of work on the project in order to meet the timelines.

He equally assured that the company will not disappoint the government and people of the area.

Diri also inspected the ongoing Onuebum-Otuoke road project in Ogbia Local Government Area.