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The people of Ogbia kingdom in Bayelsa state have called on the trio of the Federal,Bayelsa state governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC to continue as well as rearward and complete projects of all roads contracts abandoned in the kingdom.
Speaking with Journalist during a courtesy call,the Obanobhan(Monarch) of Ogbia kingdom, His Eminence, Dumaro Charles Owaba berated the trio for not considering the aftermaths effects of abandoning infrastructural projects in the communities and on the people of the kingdom.
He alleged that there was an instance where in 2015, the NDDC awarded an eight kilometers road expected to link Otakeme-Otabi-Otuogidi communities of the kingdom,but abandoned it after making budgetary approvals to a certain undisclosed amount for the project.
The monarch who also condemned the slow paced and incomplete Okaki-Kolo-Nembe road project, called on the Federal government and its relevant agencies to prevail on the contractor to come back to cite,with a view of completing it.
“In Ogbia kingdom today, there’s no single motorable road. The road from Edepie-Yenagoa-Ogbia is in complete state of disrepair,the one linking Onuebum and Otuoke communities has been badly damaged,and therefore has become a death trap,especially with the floods coming,
“As a people,we’re very well abreast with what’s happening in our domain.The road which was supposed to link Otabi from Otakeme community through Otuogidi,co-host community of the Otabagi(Oloibiri oil wells) was awarded by the NDDC in 2015,monies were appropriated for it,but after the release of the first and second tranches of the funds for it, the ghost contractor ran out of cite and all efforts to know the identity of the said contractor has been abortive,
“It’s even worst for the Anyama clan of Ogbia kingdom.There’re completely inaccessible by road. But I was informed the immediate past Governor of the state, Seriake Dickson awarded the contract for the construction of a road from Yenagoa to that part of my kingdom.However,as we speak there’s no meaningful work done there”, he said.
He commended the Bayelsa state government for the completion of the Imiringi bridge and the subsequent award of the Elebele bridge in the Emeyal clan of the kingdom,noting however,that the job be done thoroughly and finished on time,saying the Elebele bridge link all the Local governments in the state’s Eastern Senatorial zone.
He also applauded the contractor of the Federal government owned Bayelsa palm-Otuoke-Kolo road for doing a good job,insisting that when completed,it would ameliorate some of the burden occasionied by the comatose state of roads in the kingdom.
“Another well conceived,but abandoned road by the Bayelsa state government in Ogbia kingdom is the Otuoke-Ewoi-Otuabula-Abobiri-Ogbia town road,
“This road was awarded many years ago by the Bayelsa state government. I was told the government released part of the funds for this gigantic project, but again the said contractor pulled out of cite for no obvious reasons,and successive administrations have continued to abandoned that project”,
“So it’s with the Opume-Okoroba road awarded by the Federal government and others,such as
the Idema road,the Otuegila-Amoroken and the Otuoba-Akoloman-Otabi roads”, the king added.
