The Bayelsa State Government and the construction firm handling the Nembe-Brass road, Setraco Nigeria Limited, has assured Bayelsans that the first phase of road will be completed by the first quarter of next year.

Speaking with journalists who visited the multi-billion naira road linking Brass Local Government Area, the government strongly dismissed the reports circulating on social media alleging the collapse of structural defect of the bridge, describing the claims as false, misleading and calculated attempt to misinform the general public.

It will be recalled that Pastor Miebe Bribina, has recently posted on Facebook about the collapse of the ongoing bridge which has generated a lot of reaction in the last one week.

However, the State commissioner for Works and Infrastructures, Teibowe Moses, the Commissioner, Ministry of Information,Orientation and Strategy, Mrs. Koku Obiyal, and head of the contracting firm, Engr Joseph John, all debunked the allegations that one of the columns of one of the bridges had collapsed, maintaining that no such incident had occurred.

The Commissioner for Works, explained that the government considered it necessary to address the allegations in order to correct what he described as a misleading narrative gaining reaction across social media platforms.

According to him, “Construction activities are progressing in accordance with approved engineering designs, with preparations already underway for the installation of beams on the fifth bridge along the road corridor”.

“Ordinarily, I would have kept silent, but because a fake report in the social media, it is appropriate that the public be properly informed.And that is the main reason why we are here. It is to correct the negative narration, the false claim of collapse of columns.It is not correct.

“And the company is set in the next two weeks to launch the beams. Maybe he is referring to beams that have not been launched as collapsing. But you can see that the equipment is already on site, and they are doing the coupling of the equipment, preparatory to the launching of the beams for the bridge.

Asking about the quality of project said, “maybe I will take you to our own lab to show how we check, we check the quality of even materials used on this site.We have it in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure. And so the quality standard is well followed in accordance with the design of this project”.

“And let me also use this opportunity to address an issue of having a consultant. We are following what the consultant did for Bayelsa State Government concerning Nembe-Brass Road.

“Professor Beredugo was the consultant that handled this project, designed it. And that is what we are following.And so, for somebody who is not knowledgeable to talk about engaging a consultant is not even in tune with what we are doing”

Teibowe said, hopefully first quarter of next year, the road will be ready for commissioning.

On her part, the Information Commissioner, said the contractor and State Government are on course on the road project, which is priority project for the state Government and are focused about it.

She said, “This is the fifth bridge, four have been completed and this one is even the last one in the first phase of the road covering 21 kilometers.

“We believe that it is for the good of our own people because our governor and our government, we have declared from our campaigns that we are going to do a lot of infrastructural development. And this is one out of the so many we have done.

“So, I want people to have clear understanding that what he has said is lies from the pit of hell. Fallacy not founded anywhere. You have seen it yourself.

“We are talking from the point of confidence and facts. He has not said the truth. And everybody should be in tune with that.

Also speaking Engr. Joseph John, SETRACO Area Manager for Delta and Bayelsa States, stated that there was no cracking on the bridge work and are committed to deliver a high quality job for the government.

“We don’t have any problem with our projects, whatever you are hearing out there is fake news and we are ready to deliver in time because this is the last bridge out of five”.

Engr. Joseph John said the company has no funding issues as the state government is realising money time to time.