Jonathan inaugurates Nembe, Elebele bridges, hails Diri

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, inaugurated Nembe, Elebelele bridges linking communities in both Ogbia and Nembe councils of Bayelsa State.

Jonathan applauded the Governor of the state, Douye Diri, for completing the project, which he noted would help to consolidate peace and unity in both communities.

He said Diri had performed exceptionally well in infrastructure development in just two years in office.

The former president described the bridge as symbolic and urged the people of Nembe to learn to resolve their differences amicably, especially during elections rather than play politics of brigandage and violence.

He said: “You have done well to complete this project. I had to come and identify with this unique ceremony. Today should mark the end of any inter-communal conflict.

“The importance of this bridge cannot be over-emphasised. From what I have seen, this bridge is expensive, well-built and solid. And I hope it will solidify the unity between the two communities.

“Politics should be a platform to bring development to our people and not to kill and chase them away from their communities. With the commissioning of this bridge, we pray that that brand of politics would also come to an end.”

Diri said the Nembe bridge had been on the drawing board since the days of Eastern Nigeria, but that a former governor, who is now the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, started some construction work but the project was left till his administration took it over and completed it.

Describing the bridge as historic, the governor said the project was one that would heal wounds, engender peace and unity among the people of Nembe.

“My administration felt this is one historic and significant infrastructure that would help heal wounds. It is not only a physical bridge but a human bridge, especially between the brothers of Ogblomabiri and Bassambiri. Wherever there is war, development suffers and we lose not only infrastructure but human lives.”

Earlier, the former President and the governor visited the Amanyanabo of Nembe, Mingi XII, King Edmund Daukoru, in Ogbolomabiri and Amanyanabo of Opu-Nembe, Ogbodo VIII, King Biobelemoye Josiah, in Bassambiri.

King Daukoru said the Nembe bridge was symbolic, noting that what it represented far outweighed the physical length of the project as there had been age-old differences between the two communities.

He commended Diri for completing projects that he started as well as those inherited from his predecessors, describing the gesture as a mark of true leadership.