The Bayelsa State Government, Monday, said it had completed 10 internal roads, six nearly-completed ones while four others will be awarded at the end of the month, as part of efforts to drive infrastructural development of the State.
This is part of the 20 internal roads earmarked for construction in the first phase as approved by the State Executive Council and being constructed by local contractors.
The state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, who conducted selected journalists round the internal roads, expressed satisfaction over the job done so far in many sites.
Alongside the state Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ayibanua Duba, Teibowei said the contract for the remaining four roads would be awarded before the end of this month.
He said, this first phase of the internal roads construction would cost about N2.3 billion, and assured the state that new set of internal roads would be selected for construction in the second phase after the second anniversary of the current administration, next year February.
The significance of this tour is to bring to limelight and to inform the people of Bayelsa State of the projects being embarked upon by the governor, especially concerning internal roads in Yenagoa metropolis.
According to him, “There are also roads being constructed in the various communities within the local government headquarters and other communities across the state but this tour is just to capture the internal roads being constructed within Yenagoa, the state capital.
“There are 20 roads, we completed about 10; six roads are on-going and nearing completion while four will be awarded very soon, and will be completed before the second anniversary of this present government.”
The Commissioner for Information, Ayibaina Duba, who was part of the tour, said it was a deliberate policy by the Diri-led administration to award the 20 internal roads to indigenous contractors in line with its Prosperity Agenda of the state.
“Well, for a government, you can shy away from critics but it’s always good to be very real and constructive in the criticism they give concerning government projects. My response to the negative criticism is that as you can see, as the works speak for itself.
“What we are doing is not to appease critics, we are doing it for the benefits of Bayelsans, and we will continue to do more of these irrespective of the negative views of any person as long as we are doing what is right,” he said.