NDDC, Bayelsa disagree over road rehabilitation

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is undertaking emergency road repairs and rehabilitation on 14 roads across Bayelsa, the agency has said in a statement.

Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, Acting. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NDDC, issued the statement in Yenagoa on Sunday.

She described as “untrue and shocking” recent claims by the Bayelsa State Government that it was intervening on the same roads.

The managing director was reacting to claims by the Bayelsa government that it was undertaking the on-going road rehabilitation work on the roads.

She listed the roads as Oporuma-Sabageria-Polaku road in Opokuma Local Government and Odi-Trofani road.

In Yenagoa, the roads are Otiotio Road DooGood Street, Goodnews Street, Azikoro, Shepherd Vine Road, Capt. Ayeni Street; Saptex Road, Yenizue-Epie; INEC Road, Kpansia; Jasmine Suite Road, Erepa Road and NIIT Road.

Others are the Dimrose-Green; Villa-Custom Link Roads 1 & 2, Biogbolo; and Toolda Road, Ekeki all in Yenagoa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, the Commissioner for Information in Bayelsa, on Saturday said on-going emergency repairs on roads were the handiwork of the state government.

The managing director explained that the on-going road rehabilitation covered the nine states of its mandate in the Niger Delta region.

She regretted that rather than commend the agency for the step which would be a huge relief to it, the Bayelsa government decided to resort to misinformation.

“Such deliberate falsehood erodes public trust in authorities,” Semenitari said, adding that the emergency work was meant to relieve the government of some burden.

She said the commission had expected the Bayelsa Government in best practice; emulate its Cross River and Akwa Ibom counterparts in commending NDDC.

She said where the state government lacked the courage to attribute credit to NDDC, it should have kept quiet instead of misinforming the public.

Semenitari expressed displeasure that although the Bayelsa Government knew the truth, it chose to hide it from the public.

She said such style of governance eroded confidence in government and ridiculed probity.

“NDDC saw gaps in road infrastructure across its nine mandate states and the urgent need to intervene and after a management meeting, decided to act as to provide relief to motorists and other road users.

“So the option of emergency road repairs came handy as it would afford immediate remedial solutions, relieve states of financial burden and enhance inter and intra-city communications.

“Under this intervention, hitherto impassable roads have become usable routes thereby boosting economic activity and improving livelihood of the people,” Semenitari said.

She said NDDC would not engage Bayelsa in war of words but that it was necessary to leave the public with the correct information in the interest of ‘’good governance and sustainable development.”