Community Urges Dickson To Complete Imiringi Bridge Before Leaving

The people of the gas-rich settlement in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, has appealed to the Governor of the state, Seriake Dickson, to complete the construction of a new unity bridge to replace the collapsed one linking Imiringi.

The bridge, which is the fastest route connecting natives and visitors from the Kolo end of Ogbia Kingdom to the community, was swept away by the devastating flood of 2012 that wreaked havoc across the state.

The locals are worried that nearly eight years since the sad incident, the new bridge being constructed across the water inlet that bifurcates their community by the outgoing Governor Seriake Dickson administration has remained a dream.

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Though the bridge has crossed the creek, awaiting proper alignment to the road at both extremes, the people of Imiringi are eagerly waiting 100 percent completion of the project, which the government had promised to deliver in June 2018.

Pitiable situation

A native, who gave her name as Gift, told NDV: “It is pathetic that our people and visitors/strangers heading to the old Imiringi settlement, while driving from the Kolo-Emeyal end, have to make a 360-degree turn to access the community through a narrow steel bridge (barely accommodating two cars travelling in opposite directions at a time).

“But for this steel structure built by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to enable its personnel access her many oil facilities in the area, we would have been cut off from the rest of the state.”

Another resident added: “Our community is endowed with oil and gas resources and we have made enormous sacrifice for the country and state. It might interest you to note that we have at least 15 oil wells and over nine gas wells, which are enough for the government to have accorded the bridge project the deserved attention.

“We had thought the project would be completed in June 2018, as promised by the government due to the pace of work at the project site then. But to our surprise the target could not be met. As we speak, we are only hoping that the incoming administration will take over the project and ensure its speedy completion. Our people, who are mainly farmers, are having a tough time conveying their farm produce to the market.”

Shocking

Also lamenting the fate of the community, renowned environmentalist, Alagoa Morris, said: “My concern is that the bridge was one of the major infrastructure that got damaged during the 2012 unexpected flood, which we all know was not man-made. It is also painful when you consider the fact that the Imiringi- Otuasega Road was also completely destroyed by the same flood and the Federal Government through FERMA and other agencies repaired that road.

“Even the bridge along the road that was completely destroyed has been repaired by the Federal Government.

“It is, however, surprising that the state government that took about three years to go into the replacement of that unity bridge at Imiringi main town, after the devastating flood, is yet to complete the project. When we were thinking about two years ago that they were about finishing it for us to clap for them and celebrate it, it has been abandoned since then.

“It is a very big surprise, especially when the bridge (collapsed structure) was constructed by a local government in the old Rivers State. It was Brass Local Government that constructed that bridge for Imiringi people.

“It is on record that the state government started an upgraded one as a replacement for the collapsed bridge. ”

‘Must be some form of punishment’

Continuing, he wondered “whether it is a kind of punishment or anger for government to have abandoned the project because they cannot tell us it is money, since it is beyond 90 percent completion. It is just remaining the area to align with the road on both sides.

“If this project is abandoned and handed over to the incoming administration, it will be very bad for the Dickson administration, which has been in the saddle for eight years. I want to appeal to them to complete that bridge before they leave office considering the fact that Imiringi has several oil wells and gas facilities within their environment.

“Not only because they have oil and gas, but as an integral part of the state, they should do it for the community.

“Imiringi is not only for Imiringi people. A lot of strangers are also living there and a lot of Bayelsans are buying land and living there so they should help us and complete that bridge so that we do not add it as abandoned project of the Restoration Government.

“If an oil and gas-producing community like Imiringi has no visible presence of state government in almost the eight years of Dickson-led restoration government could be treated this way, how else should one describe the way the governor has turned his own community (Toru Orua) around, if not nepotism? That is why some of us are preaching the gospel of Okiloism.”

Last year, at a media chat in Yenagoa, Governor Dickson promised to revisit the abandoned Imiringi Bridge project as well as collapsed Elebele Bridge, but nothing had been done since.