We Want To Finish The Already Existing Projects Before We Embark On Another: Bayelsa Government.

 

The Bayelsa State Government has disclosed that it cannot be able to embark on new projects  for now maintaining that because of the high cost of living it will want to take care of the  variation that is already being incured.

To that effect, the government said that it has has secured a meeting with Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, to finalize the completion of the dual carriage road linking Opolo Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area to Elebele Community in Ogbia Local Government Area in order to ease transportation of goods and services between Yenagoa metropolis and neighbouring communities.

Speaking on Thursday to the Federated Correspondents  Chapel members of NUJ,  the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, represented by the Permanent Secretary,  Johnson Dagana, said the government has also concluded plans to commence the construction of the Gloryland Drive Phase III, which is designed to link the Tombia-Amassoma road to a bridge at Imgbi Junction, Amarata, in the state capital.

He said the government considers the Gloryland Drive Phase III to be important because of the significant role it will play in connecting commuters from the East West  Road to the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state. 

He however  stated  that the government has completed the sand filling and stabilization of 16 kilometers out of the 21 kilometers Nembe-Brass road, adding that the contractor has commenced work on the first bridge on the Nembe axis, while some culvert work have been completed. 

The perm secretary  also lamented the fact that considering the changes in the economy of the nation, the increase in price of building materials has affected the bill of quantity for projects prepared by the government, saying that most of the roads earmarked for construction were currently undergoing variation and that the expectation of government to engage in new contracts has been limited. 

He said; "We can not be able to engage new ones because we need to have money to also take care of the variation that is taking place. We can not be able to engage new contracts for now.

"The reason why the state government is trying to do a single dual carriage road now is for the fact that it has to ration income in a way that we can be able to tackle other projects. That is the best decision that the state government has taken.

"The Opolo to Elebele, that road is actually been handled by Julius Berger and as I speak with you, we have invited Julius Berger for a meeting tomorrow with a view of mobilizing them back to site. That is why the meeting is being called and we believe that after the  meeting, they will go back to site to complete that project. 

"It is the entire job they are going to do. Right from Opolo by the market, that is where the road starts from. We will keep on working from that angle. The first time they came, they left because of the elections. 

"Now that we are back and election is over, this time we are back to for governance and of course government is to ensure that infrastructural development that will affect the lives of the people are put in place. We are having that meeting with them tomorrow(today) and at the end of that meeting, they are going mobilize back to site. 

"The Nembe - Brass road, presently we have completed the sand filling of the entire stretch of the road and we have done some level of stabilization and of course, they are to commence the first bridge on the Nembe axis. We have sand filled about 16 kilometers and some part of the culvert work have been completed. They are on site for the first bridge.

"Over the times, considering the changes in the economy of the nation, it has affected the prices of building materials and every other thing even food items.  been prepared. Most of these roads, they bill of quantity have been prepared earlier before now and when things like this come up, definitely there will be need for variation as a result of hike in prices of building materials in the market. 

"It has affected the projects because the expectation the government has is to also engage in new contracts and the inflation has made government to limit it to the existing ones. 

 

"As it is now, we have made it in a way that single carriage way should be handled because of the limited resources that is available so that other projects can go on. Now that we have been able to complete that one, government will look into it and before the end of this year, it will take up the other carriage."