After several decades of unending promises, the Nembe-Brass Road Project in Bayelsa State aimed at connecting far flung communities in the Atlantic Ocean by road is coming into fruition.
This followed the groundbreaking ceremony for phase one of the twenty-one kilometer project with ten bridges performed by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, at Nembe.
The project which is estimated to cost over fifty-four billion Naira and being undertaken by the Bayelsa State government is expected to be completed within twenty-four to thirty-six month.
The people of Nembe in Nembe and Brass Local Government Area Councils of Bayelsa State set aside their age long differences to unite as they rolled out the drums to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the Nembe-Brass Road Project.
Their excitement is understandably so as the project, which is one of the three senatorial roads in the state, had been in the pipeline by successive administrations in the country from the colonial era in the 1943 as the Okarki-Brass Road as most of the communities in Brass and Nembe located on the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean are only accessible by sea and rivers.
Performing the groundbreaking ceremony for commencement of work on the project at Nembe, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, commended Governor Douye Diri for taking the bull by the horn by ensuring that the project comes into reality.
Represented by the Director of Highways (South South) in the Ministry, Mr. Godwin Eke, he said his ministry would tap into the Federal government’s current tax credit scheme with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to the advantage of the project to fast track the development of the area.
Governor Douye Diri said though the Nembe-Brass Road had suffered series of setbacks for many years, his administration was determined to see to the construction work and completion of the project despite the challenges.
Governor Diri stated that the project was part of the three Senatorial Districts Roads aimed at connecting all parts of the State by road, urging multinational oil companies to support the State government’s effort for timely completion.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Surveyor Moses Teibowei said the Nembe-Brass section of the Bayelsa East Senatorial Road which is a Trunk A Road that is divided into three phases would open up Bayelsa State and Nigeria to the Brass Island which plays host to the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas, Brass Fertilizer Project, Oil Terminals, Export Zone and other maritime and tourism facilities using the Atlantic Ocean.
He said the First phase is from Otatubo, Nembe to the Saint Nicholas River while the 2nd phase is the construction of a Bridge crossing Saint Nicholas River measuring 600 meters and the Third phase is from the Bridge to Twon-Brass in Brass LGA.
In separate goodwill messages, the Amanyanabo of Nembe, King Edmund Daukoru, the Amanyanabo of Opu-Nembe, King Josiah Biobelemoye, the Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass and first Military Administrator of Old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of Okpoama Kingdom, King Ebitimi Banigo, the Regent of Akassa Clan, Chief Princewill Oluku and President of Nembe Se Congress, Professor Monday Egein all expressed appreciation to Governor Diri for bringing to reality the road, assuring of the safety of contractors handling the project.
