Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Monday, paid unscheduled visits to some project sites in Yenagoa, the state capital, ahead of his 100 days in office.

Governor Diri, who was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, and some top government functionaries, said his administration would include the Tombia-Etegwe flyover project in the 2020 budget as it is one of its key projects.

He noted that the project was conceptualised by his predecessor but could not execute it due to the economic downturn in the country.

The governor in a statement by his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said his administration was abreast of the developmental challenges of the state and would strive within available resources to tackle them.

According to him, the project when completed would largely decongest the area and ease traffic in the city.

He however said alternative routes would be created and the road expanded to enable commuters bypass the roundabout during the construction of the flyover.

His words: “What we have done is to ensure that this flyover is in our budget commencing from this year. But before we construct it, we don't want our people to suffer. If we start the flyover immediately, there would be a total blockade in the movement of people in Yenagoa.

“So we want to expand the roundabout in a manner that if you are coming in from Mbiama and going towards Amassoma, you don't have any business coming to the roundabout. You can move straight to the Amassoma axis.

“We came to inspect and to look at the possibility of expanding the currently existing lanes and then expand the flyover so that it will make movement easier for our people.”

Governor Diri assured those whose structures would be affected of compensation and that his team had already gone through the designs for the project.

At the Yenagoa Shopping Mall, the governor promised to expedite work on its completion within his first 100 days in office.

Describing the project as of international standard, he commended former Governor Seriake Dickson for initiating the project.

Diri explained that upon completion of the shopping mall, the state government would out-source it to reputable international marketing firms to promote commercial activities in the state.

“Let me commend my predecessor for this idea of having a shopping mall of international standard in Bayelsa. As you can see this project is not yet completed and so we want to complete it as one of our projects within our 100 days in office.”

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