April 28, (THEWILL) — The joy and excitement of the people of Sabageia in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area and Polaku in Yenagoa Local Government Area will remain indelible and memorable in their lifetime, following the completion of a bridge that has constituted a huge problem for them.
Before now, it was a herculean task for these two communities to interact, as they resorted to using a canoe to transport goods and personnel, and to access the state capital was not easy either.
For the people of Sabageia to get to Yenagoa, they have to travel two hours through the East-West road, but with the completion of the road/bridge, it takes the commuters just fifteen minutes to access the state capital at less cost.
Our correspondent, during a tour to Sabagriea and Polaku road and bridge, spoke to some of the indigenes who are beneficiaries of the Prosperity Government’s legacy projects under Governor Douye Diri.
According to Rear Admiral Geoffrey Yanga rtd, who spoke in a telephone interview, when asked how he feels about the completion of the Sabagriea and Polaku road and bridge. He said, “There is nothing to describe the feeling. I feel the way you are feeling. It is not only the community people who are benefiting from the road. Everybody is benefiting. It is an infrastructural development for humanity, not only for the Sabagerai people alone.
“So anything you do, don’t zero your mind on a particular community even though there is a greater impact. Let’s not just put our minds on helping a community; you are helping humanity. You are helping everybody.
“The Governor has done a fantastic job. It eases our movement in and out of Sabagerai Community, and its environs”, he stated.
In the same vein, Chief Philip Eseri, Compound Chief of Kalama Community, added that the road was very important to the community, adding that “previously, we were going round from here to East West Road before getting to Gateway Road, Igbogene. It takes us like two hours to get to Yenagoa, so when this bridge project stopped, we were very much burdened.
“So when they started doing the road again, personally, as the landlord chief, I told our youths that the benefits of the road are in the future, so right now if you board a Keke here, it will take you straight to Yenagoa, and it will take you at most one hour.
“So, it has eased our transport situation, the time and the cost. It has given us a very good lease of life, both financially and in terms of the time factor. Our farm can now quickly get to the market and Yenagoa faster.
Also speaking, Mummy Blessing Isere, 64, said she was very happy with the road, adding that she doesn’t go to Polako first anymore but goes to Tombia junction from her house in Yenagoa.
She said, “See our park here. It is very close to me. When I enter a vehicle here, they will take me to Tombia Junction, then I will take another vehicle to my daughter’s place. Before now, they will carry me on a bike and drop me at Polako, and they will pull me through water to the other side before Keke will carry me to Tombia Junction. I’m very happy now that my people have got a road that we are taking to get to Yenagoa.”
In an interview with the Bayelsa state commissioner for works and Infrastructure, Esv Moses Teibowei, said the Sabagriea and Polaku road project was abandoned by the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) for fifteen years, and when the current government saw the importance of using the road/ bridge to connect and boost the state economy, it took over the contract and completed it.
He said, “Though it has not been officially commissioned, His Excellency Senator Douye Diri has directed that it should be opened for the general public, as it has eased transportation cost and saved time to access the state capital, Yenagoa.”
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
