- Says project feasible
Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, has faulted a former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, over his criticism of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, insisting that the project is feasible despite the swampy terrain of the Niger Delta.
Duke, during an interview, described the proposed highway as unbuildable through Bayelsa because of the state’s swampy landscape. He argued that the terrain would require the construction of hundreds of bridges to connect communities along the route.
However, Diri, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Daniel Alabrah, expressed disappointment that a former governor from the South-South region would question the feasibility of a project he considers critical to the development of the Niger Delta.
“I have seen the trending video clip of the former Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency Donald Duke, on a Television programme. To say the least, I feel disappointed that former Governor Duke, who is from our region, made such a comment,” Diri said.
The Bayelsa governor argued that ongoing and completed road and bridge projects in the State demonstrate that infrastructure can be constructed across difficult terrain.
He cited the Nembe-Brass Road, the Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge Road and the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road as examples of major road projects traversing swampy areas. He also referenced the 630-metre bridge across the River Nun at Angiama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
According to Diri, projects such as the dualised roads in New Yenagoa City and the Glory Drive phases have also demonstrated the state’s capacity to deliver infrastructure across forests and wetlands.
He suggested that Duke’s criticism might have been influenced by political considerations, adding that the significance of the coastal highway to the region should take precedence over partisan disagreements.
The governor described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as an important infrastructure project that could improve connectivity and unlock economic opportunities for communities across the coastal states.
He said the Ijaw National Congress had advocated the project for decades, noting that the organisation had repeatedly presented the demand to successive federal administrations.
Diri maintained that the project was particularly important to the Ijaw ethnic nationality and other riverine communities that have long faced transportation and connectivity challenges.
He also linked his support for the highway to his decision to join the All Progressives Congress, saying the interests of his people remained a priority.
The governor cautioned politicians against politicising development projects, particularly during election periods, arguing that ordinary citizens often bear the consequences when political disagreements overshadow infrastructure development.
While Diri maintains that construction across the Niger Delta’s swampy terrain is achievable, the project’s delivery will depend on engineering solutions suited to the region’s wetlands, waterways, and environmental conditions.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a Federal ggovernment project designed to connect coastal communities across nine states: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
