…Calls for speedy completion of major Bayelsa roads
By Tapre Timine, Bayelsa
Governor Douye Diri yesterday commissioned a newly renovated office complex of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the Opolo axis of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, calling on the Federal Government to strengthen infrastructural collaboration with the state.
The governor, who was the special guest of honour at the event, applauded the Dr Samuel Ogbuku-led NDDC management for delivering a functional and well-equipped facility in the state capital.
In a statement signed by the governor’s media team shortly after the ceremony, Diri hailed the naming of the office complex after the late Chief Melford Obiene Okilo, a former Governor of old Rivers State, as a meaningful tribute to a leader who made significant contributions to the Niger Delta’s growth.
He used the platform to renew calls for the completion of major federal road projects in Bayelsa State, particularly the Yenagoa–Oporoma Road in the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District and the Sagbama–Ekeremor Road in the Bayelsa West Senatorial District, which are ongoing under his administration.
Governor Diri also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road, a key infrastructural route expected to open up the coastal economy.
While addressing political stakeholders, the governor stressed the need for unity and prioritisation of regional development over partisanship. He warned that issues such as underdevelopment, erosion, poverty, and insecurity must be confronted collectively rather than sidelined by political divisions.
Diri said: “What we need in the Niger Delta now is leadership that transcends party lines — one that prioritises the people, not positions.”
Dignitaries at the ceremony included Dr (Mrs) Gloria Diri, wife of the governor; Deputy Governor Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Abraham Ingobere; Secretary to the State Government, Professor Nimibofa Ayawei; as well as members of the Bayelsa State and National Assemblies.
