With the commencement of work on the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road, there are high hopes that economic activities in the Brass area of Bayelsa State, where Chief Timipre Sylva hails from, will receive a serious boost.
Already, the people are upbeat, especially as they can now travel by road from Yenagoa to Ikebiri, reducing the travel time and the risk by sea. The project is an initiative of the state governor, Senator Douye Diri.
On Monday, Diri began a state-wide tour from the coastal town of Brass, and spent only 30 minutes from Ikebiri, where the first phase of the road stopped and from where the second phase which has been taken over by the federal government begins.
Before now, it took about two hours to travel from Yenagoa to Twon-Brass, by sea. The Ogbia-Nembe Road having been earlier executed, made it possible for the Nembe-Brass part to start.
Monday’s trip to Bras by the governor via road was the first since the road construction started. The Sagbama-Ekeremor route as well as the Yenagoa-Oporoma road projects are also ongoing, all in a bid to connect the three senatorial districts by road.
Diri and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Solomon Agwana and top government officials were received by the excited natives as they arrived the new Twon-Brass pavilion.
While addressing the crowd, the governor commended the people for standing against agents of violence and malpractices, which ensured his re-election and noted that his acceptance in Brass cut across political parties as non-PDP members played significant roles for his victory based on their conviction and not financial gains.
“We came to thank the great youths, women, leaders and elders of Brass Local Government Area on behalf of your Government of Prosperity.
“This is not a political party gathering. Rather it is a gathering of every Brass man and woman that contributed, voted and stood by their votes to ensure your government was brought back.
“Some of you from other political parties even worked like they were members of PDP. I thank you all.
“We started this thank-you tour from Brass as this is where the number three man in the state comes from as well as the place of the only woman representing us in the National Assembly.
“This is also an area we are constructing a road that had been on the drawing board from time immemorial. Where people said the terrain was too difficult but we are here to say it is not that difficult.
“Today, I got here through that road. We drove from Yenagoa to the Nembe-Brass road, to the point called Ikebiri, and from there by boat we came into Twon-Brass under 30 minutes.”
He approved the request to rehabilitate the Brass General Hospital and directed the Commissioner for Health to take the necessary actions.
In his remarks, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, commended the governor for his strategic approach to governance, especially his robust relationship with the legislature and judiciary.
The speaker also noted that the governor has invested huge state resources on the Nembe-Brass road as though he was from the area while equally commending him for his relationship with the government at the centre, which resulted in the presidential approval of the second phase of the project.
The member representing Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, said the people spoke in one voice through the ballot as a way of repaying the good works of the governor.
On his part, the Commissioner for Community Development, Mr. Alfred Belemote, said Brass Constituency 1 had witnessed unprecedented government presence under the Diri administration and that the people were proud to identify with the governor.
In a welcome address, chairman of Brass Local Government Area, Mr. Lucky Febo, said the people were happy to host the governor and that his victory at the last governorship poll was a reflection of their appreciation for his commitment towards changing the developmental narrative of the area, particularly through the Nembe-Brass road project.
During teh visit, Diri paid a royal visit to the Twon Brass King and first military governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diette-Spiff.
