Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
The Prosperity Government was inaugurated in 14th of February, 2020 on the world valentine day following the Supreme Court judgement sacking Bayelsa business magnet, David Lyon as the governor-elect. The Douye Diri-led government immediately swung into action and turning the state into a construction site with the commencement of the three senatorial roads across the state. The roads have already attracting Bayelsans who were outside the state in retracing their steps in coming back to their ancestral home.
Some of these heartwarming Projects embarked upon and completed by the Prosperity Government were the Yenagoa—Oporoma road, Sagbama—Ekeremor road, Nembe–Brass road, which have been in the drawing board over four decades and the speedy completion of the Glory Drive Phase 11.
Recently, some members of Nigeria Union of Journalist, NUJ of the United Correspondent Chapel took a project tour to some notable project sites to know the level of work done and the economic benefit accrue to the host communities, and the first point of call was the country-home of the Executive Governor Sampou and other communities like Swali, Angiama, Ogbogoro, with the view of ascertaining firsthand information on the progress of work done on various projects embarked upon by the Prosperity Government.
Landing at the country-home of the Governor, the team was warmly received by the inhabitants and urgently taken to the already completed and some ongoing projects. The Project Manager of the General Hospital, Sampou, Engr. Shaba Suleiman Maman expressed optimism of the progress of work done so far.
He noted that due to the terrain associated with the project, the foundation of the hospital was cast with concrete to a height of 3.2ft. The hospital housing nurses and doctors quarters and laboratory project that is under construction. It will be quick to described as one of the best hospital that will be build by Douye Diri Government in Nigeria with the quality of material used and the engineering structure that the buildings carries.
Engr. Suleiman Maman further said the project is projected to last for fourteen months which was kick started December 2020, and now they have spent eight months on the work.
As for the General Hospital, the project is 70 percent complete while stressing that his clients have been very friendly as well the company is also reciprocating the friendly nature with the clients.
Another historic town visited by the team is Odi community in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area. At the community, the team was led to the ongoing flood reduction project embarked upon by the Douye Diri led government.
Buloebelemoere Ogboka Pauline, a native of Odi commended the State Government for the project that has drastically helped in the reduction of flooding impact among the people.
She noted that since the construction of the project, the people has started witnessing normal life compared to before, when they will park their belongings to the federal junction with the help of local canoe and come and sleep in their submerged houses in the night.
It could be recall that 2022 flood which surpassed other perennial floods submerged 80 percent of Bayelsa land mass where some houses like in Ogbogoro community was washed away by erosion. This, to some extent has been addressed by the Prosperity Government with the awarding of contracts to notable contractors to sand fill community and carry out some forms of construction to reduce the impact of flooding.
Pauline unlike Godsave Lucky in Ogbogoro thanked the government for taking measures to mitigate the impending flood with the various projects that is ongoing.
Although, Ogbogoro which is flashpoint of the erosion and flooding are still grasping with the washing away of houses despite government presence, a situation that requires external hands like the federal government and oil multi-nationals operating in the State for help.
One of the landmark road infrastructural projects is the Bayelsa Central Yenagoa—Oporoma road project that is linking several communities in Southern Ijaw local government area. This is one local in Africa that has about one hundred and twenty communities and the biggest by landmass.
The Project Manager of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd, Peter Pan, said the level of work is at 100% complete, adding that they are currently working on the Angiama Bridge but promised to start the last phase of the work when adequate mobilization is done.
The construction company noted that the state government has been responding positively in terms of funding of the projects which will be completed by 2025 for the stipulated duration of the project.
The incumbent Community Development Committee Chairman of Angiama community, Mr. Tugwell Zacchaeus commended the Prosperity Government for embarking on gigantic projects that has reduced the suffering of his people.
According to him, “Before this giant construction work, we were using local boats to access Yenagoa through Anyama route which was very quite challenging. It was stressful because you will spend time at Anyama to book ticket and wait until it get to your turn and we spend hours, but now we just board a cab straight from Angiama to Yenagoa within a space of 10-15 minutes”, he stated.
He further said that since the construction of the road project, it has created quite a number of jobs to the unemployed youths, adding that the company as a way of maintaining working relationship engaged the youths in the construction work.
It was gathered that this road project has been on the drawing board for over four decades since when Bayelsa was still under old Rivers State.
As a bid to scale up the young generation with adequate skills and technical knowledge, the Prosperity Government established technical colleges across the states. Like in Swali Community in Yenagoa local government area, the principal of Government Science and Technical College, Comrade Pedro Igbudu, said the students under his tutelage are being equipped with technical know-how to contribute meaningfully to the development of their immediate environment and the state in particular.
He noted that the college since an unconventional college train students on mechanical, plumbing, carpentry, sewing, hand-fitting, building, garment making, computer, adding that after the requisite training in the school, one would not required to look for white collar job. He boasted that the students in the college will be self-reliant and self-sustain and will be creating employment opportunities for even graduates.
He noted that the primary goal of the college is to be self-reliance, skill reliance, adding that with the establishment of the school by the Douye Diri led government, it means that productivity will be plenty in Bayelsa State.
Fascinating to note that the school was established in 2020 with the sole aim of equipping Bayelsans with adequate skills in order to reduce the rising rate of unemployment among Bayelsans.
The principal said it has technical one, two and three and pre-technical one to three. The magnificent aspect of the college is that it has the same standard of conventional college where examinations are taking to measure the level of intelligence of the students.
Comrade Pedro said the college has commenced her first batch of NATEB examination which is currently ongoing adding that academy activities kick started in January 2021 with manual teaching or training system but now has basic and modern equipment to mount demand of students.
Some of the students of the College expressed joy for the establishment and promised to reciprocate the same in learning and transforming what he has acquired to reality.
A student, Master David Enekedou while speaking to newsmen when the crew visited the school said he has started demonstrating what he has been taught in the classroom at home by repairing fans, electrical sockets, bulbs noting that his dream is to become an electrical engineer.
