Diri Faults Duke’s Criticism Of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Says Project Is Feasible
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has faulted former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke over his description of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project as unbuildable, insisting that road construction is possible even across the swampy terrain of the Niger Delta.
Duke had, during an interview on Arise Television, questioned the feasibility of the project, citing the difficult terrain of Bayelsa State and the extensive engineering works that would be required to construct the highway across the coastal region.
“The Lagos-Calabar Road is unbuildable. You cannot even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp. Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You will probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps,” the former governor said.
The 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a Federal Government project designed to traverse nine coastal states: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
Reacting to Duke’s remarks, Diri, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, expressed disappointment that a former governor from the South-South region would question the feasibility of the project, which he described as significant to the development of the Niger Delta.
The governor argued that Duke’s comments did not reflect the realities of infrastructure development in Bayelsa, where his administration has undertaken road and bridge projects across swampy and mangrove terrain.
In his response, Diri said he had watched the former governor’s interview and believed his assessment overlooked the progress made in road construction within the state.
“To say the least, I feel disappointed that former Governor Duke, who is from our region, made such comment. Clearly, he is not abreast of current developments in road construction and infrastructure development in our state,” he said.
Diri suggested that political considerations might have influenced Duke’s criticism, arguing that the potential benefits of the coastal highway to the region should take precedence over partisan disagreements.
“I want to believe that his criticism had political colourations and he did not consider the significance of such a project to our region,” the governor added.
Citing infrastructure projects executed in Bayelsa, Diri maintained that difficult terrain was not an insurmountable obstacle to road construction.
He listed the Nembe-Brass Road, the Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge Road and the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road as examples of major road projects traversing swampy areas across the state’s three senatorial districts.
The governor also cited the 630-metre bridge across River Nun at Angiama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, describing it as one of the longest bridges in the region.
According to him, dualised roads in New Yenagoa City and the Glory Drive Phases One, Two and Three were also constructed through forested and swampy areas.
“Yenagoa is not what Duke described it. So, he is wrong. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is buildable and possible,” Diri stated.
The governor further described the coastal highway as a strategic infrastructure project capable of opening up riverine communities, improving connectivity and stimulating economic activities across the coastal states.
He said the project was particularly important to the Ijaw people, noting that the Ijaw National Congress (INC) had advocated the construction of a coastal road since its establishment in the 1990s.
According to Diri, successive administrations at the federal level had been approached over the years to undertake the project, but the administration of President Bola Tinubu eventually commenced its implementation.
The Bayelsa governor also identified the coastal highway as one of the considerations behind his decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), explaining that the interests of his people remained his priority.
Diri cautioned politicians against allowing partisan considerations to overshadow development, particularly during election seasons, warning that ordinary citizens often bear the consequences when critical infrastructure projects become subjects of political controversy.
