Following the commencement of work, residents of the state have commended Federal Government directive on road repairs in the state.
Cross section of the residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Yenagoa, described the repair work as a welcome development to national growth.
Suzzy Ayibaowei, a resident of Imiringi, Ogbia Local Government Area, said the maintenance work was necessary, saying that the importance of roads to the economic development of the state could not be over-emphasised.
Ayibaowei, however, decried the way people suffer in terms of bad road, adding that repair of Yenagoa-Imiringi-Oloibiri road was a good thing to happen to people in the area.
Another resident, Kenneth Ebipadei commended the repair work and urged FERMA to work hard in ensuring that the road was fixed to reduce the suffering of the people plying the road.
“Thank God that FERMA has commenced direct Labour work along Yenagoa-Imiringi-Oloibiri road in our area; I urge them to do the needful in ensuring that the road is fixed well,” he said.
NAN reports that President Mohammadu Buhari had recently given the directive to FERMA to carry out maintenance work on federal roads nationwide.
NAN also reports that the FERMA Maintenance Engineer in Bayelsa, Engr. Ayoola Bolaji inspected the on-going direct labour work on the road on Feb. 2.
Bolaji explained that the repair work was inconsonant with the 12 weeks mandate given by President Muhammadu Buhari to the agency to carry repair works on federal roads nationwide.
He said the direct labour drive involved activities such as vegetation control and reinstatement of failed portions of the carriageway, patching of potholes and asphalt over-lay of distress sections of the road.
“The work activity that has spanned about six kilometres was between Emeyal and Kolo Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
“Work is on-going and we have directly or indirectly engaged some unemployed youths.
“We sourced the youths from the communities in the area, the enthusiasm has been encouraging to our work,” he said.
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Bolaji expressed optimism that the work would be sustained by the management of FERMA with vigour and commitment in order to achieve a pothole-free road, not only in Bayelsa but across the country at large.
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