Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, said the federal government had indicated interest in the ongoing 21km Nembe-Brass Road project, which is a federal road in the Bayelsa East senatorial district.
Diri stated this weekend at the grand reception in honour of the minister of state for petroleum resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, at the Ekeremor community pavilion in Ekeremor local government area.
He expressed his administration’s readiness to also partner with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to take the Ekeremor road to Agge, adding that Bayelsa needs these road infrastructural projects for easy movement of the people.
Diri commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing illustrious sons and a daughter of the state into various positions of trust in his administration and also appreciated the minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for his role in the appointment of Senator Lokpobiri as minister.
The governor stated that his administration is building a new Bayelsa where political boundaries would not hinder sustainable development of the state and urged the people irrespective of political differences to rally round his administration to accelerate the pace of development.
He said, “This is not the time for PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) or APC (All Progressives Congress). Politics is over. It is time for governance.
“We do not have party differences in Bayelsa but what we have is the development of our state and Nigeria at large. Let us jettison petty jealousies and join hands to develop our state so that it will grow from strength to strength.
“The persons appointed have what it takes to represent Bayelsa. Under Senator Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, we will see a different kind of representation. We need to partner with the NDDC and the Delta State government to build a bridge across both states.
“We need to also partner with the NDDC to take the Ekeremor road to Agge. We need this road infrastructure for easy movement of our people.
“On behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State, l thank President Bola Tinubu for making these appointments possible. Aside from God and the president, l also thanked the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, for contributing to the appointment of Senator Lokpobiri as minister,” he said.
In his remarks, chairman of the occasion, a former director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Matthew Seiyefa, also thanked President Tinubu for the appointment of sons and a daughter of Ekeremor.
Seiyefa, who is also pro-chancellor of the state-owned Niger Delta University, said it was heartwarming that Ekeremor alone produced two Senior Advocates of Nigeria that by dint of hard work and perseverance attained the highest level in the legal profession.
In his solidarity message, the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the gesture of honouring people that have excelled in various fields of endeavour serves as source of encouragement for others to work hard.
Ogbuku said the commission would collaborate with the government to ensure completion of the Ekeremor-Agge road project and on a regional bridge project linking Bayelsa and Delta states.
Responding on behalf of other honourees, Lokpobiri expressed appreciation to the leaders of Ekeremor as well as the state governor for the honour done them.
He said the idea of honouring him despite being an APC member was laudable, noting that what mattered most was the character of the candidate in an election rather than the party he represents.
Lokpobiri also thanked Wike for being instrumental to his appointment and also expressed gratitude to the Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and other prominent personalities for gracing the event.
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