By Sampson Boroh
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has condemned the non-inclusion of Bayelsa State as part of the states to benefit from the approved 21 roads to be constructed and rehabilitated by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government had approved 21 roads across the six geopolitical zones in the county for construction and rehabilitation by NNPC.
IYC through its Central zone expressed the discontentment to journalists on Friday in Yenagoa at a press briefing.
Chairman of the Central Zone of the IYC, Comr. Clever Inodu, who spoke for the group, faulted the decision of the Federal Executive Council not to include majority of the states in the Niger Delta region.
He also faulted NNPC for channeling all the available resources for the Road Infrastructure Development on petroleum energy distribution alone without recourse to connecting major petroleum activity destinations to the rest of the country.
He said total neglect of Bayelsa State in its recent move is an indication that the state has never been on the framework of the corporation even though it is amongst states in the top chart of petroleum activities in the country.
He said, “The most anticipated Nembe-Brass road has been on the Federal Government drawing board since 1973 but has gotten little or no attention despite its Socio-Economic viability.”
Expatiating the importance of the road, he explained that when completed it will provide access to the Brass fertilizer/petrochemical project, the Atlantic modular refinery Okpoma and the BPPT Brass petroleum product terminal amongst others.
Inodu who doubles as Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council Zonal and Chapter Chairmen forum expressed total displeasure and rejects this trend in its entirety pointing out that the move is a deliberate marginalization of Bayelsa State by the NNPC.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Hon. Minister of petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, all National assembly members from Bayelsa State and the management of the Cooperation to reconsider the Council’s position on the Nembe-Brass road and every other federal road in the state.
The Chairman of the zone also encouraged companies in the area to take advantage of the Executive Order No. 007 of 2019 signed into law by Mr President and carry out Road Infrastructure Development in the State.
