Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa has urged President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to take swift action to alleviate the suffering of commuters on the Okogbe axis of the East-West road in Rivers State.
Diri, who was stuck in traffic for over two hours, described the situation as “pathetic and unacceptable”.
The governor called for the contractor handling the culvert project to be sacked, citing lack of capacity and causing pain to Nigerians.
He also urged South-South legislators to make the issue a national priority, according to TheWill.
Diri emphasized the importance of the road, which connects all South-South states, and highlighted the region’s contribution to the country’s economy.
He questioned the delay in rehabilitation work and urged the Minister of Works to visit the site.
The project supervisor, Kingsley Onyema, attributed the delay to drivers’ impatience, but Diri dismissed this claim and appealed for patience from the public.
He emphasized the need for urgent action from the Federal Government to address the crisis.
“It is chaotic, pathetic and unbelievable that this is happening to an oil-producing area that lays the golden egg for our country.
“The way forward is for the Federal Government to realise that an urgent step must be taken now. I commend the good intentions of the Federal Government but the Minister of Works needs to come here and see things for himself and not rely on information from the contractor. I have spoken to the Minister about this road.
“You are all aware that the same flood of 2022 damaged roads in Bayelsa and we have fixed all of them. So how come an important road like this will be in this bad state? I am pained.
“Let me appeal to Mr President to call all relevant officials concerning this road to ensure that the work is done to reduce the suffering of our people. From what I see, there is no plan on the part of the contractor and the company should be sacked,” Diri said.
