We will correct our mistakes in Niger Delta, says Osinbajo

Speaking on Saturday at Angiama, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State while flagging off the construction of the last phase of bridge linking Yenagoa to Oporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw initiated by Governor Douye Diri, Osinbajo, noted that though President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is confronted with the challenges of inclusive prosperity, but it’s determined to attract development to all section of the country.

According to him, driving through the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road, has unraveled the natural beauty and the enormous potentials inherent in Bayelsa state, explaining that such natural endowments are seen in few places of the world.

He said: “Communities like Oporoma, Angiama and others across the Niger Delta are host to large amount of mineral wealth and natural resources, so they deserved to have durable developmental gains to show for it.

“We are on our way towards correcting the lapses in this respect, with the collaborative efforts between the Federal, states and local governments, this lapses will be corrected.

“The challenge historically, has been in getting the obvious potentials of Bayelsa State to match up to the great reality, and we must appreciate the doggedness with which the Governor Douye Diri administration has gone about ensuring that Bayelsa State live up to its age.

“The importance of the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie Road to the development across the state in some ways, we know that there can be no inclusive prosperity without effective linkages of communities and effective facilitation of trade that roads like this can provide. One of the key challenges of government today more than ever is ensuring inclusive prosperity.

“Our ability to create an environment that enables each and every person in every corner of the country to get a fair chance of maximising their potentials is one of the surest route to sustainable economic development.

“For a country with the population and geographical span like Nigeria, guaranteeing inclusive prosperity is a major challenge indeed and this is majorly moreso by the working urbanisation of the last two decades, the consequent pressure on cities and the difficulties of allocating scarce resources that are faced by government at all levels across the country.

“This is why projects like this are of utmost important and we must commend our dear brother Governor Douye Diri and his team for the commitment and vision they have shown to completing what was imagined almost 60 years ago and has been so long in coming.

“Previous administration including the Federal Government also understood this and the began the groundwork for execution many years ago. The government is a continium and sometimes what began in the heart of Moses will find fulfilment in the hands of Joshua.

“The intention to build this important stretch of road has all been clear with the efforts of past administration including Seriake Dickson your illustrious predecessor culminating in the construction of Ikoli Bridge and the road to Angiama but at various points various factors including militancy, flood, and small gaps of will have conspire to slow it down to the detriment of the people.” He said.

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, while welcoming the Vice President to the groundbreaking, said that the road project started by previous administrations in the state, spanned about 36 kilometers and has stretched across the rivers, creeks and swamps.