Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has strongly criticized former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, over his criticism of the 750km Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.
The 750-kilometre highway project being constructed by the federal government traverses nine coastal states, including Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
Duke, in an interview on Arise Television, had described the ambitious infrastructure project as “unbuildable” and “unaffordable” for Nigeria.
He specifically cited the swampy terrain of the Niger Delta—using Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, as an example—arguing that engineers would “probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges” to cut through those swamps.
“The Lagos-Calabar Road is unbuildable. You cannot even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp.
“Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You will probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps,” Duke said.
He also expressed doubts that the road would ever advance past Epe in Lagos State.
Responding to Duke’s criticism, the Bayelsa governor, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, expressed disappointment that a former governor of a South-south state would criticise the project due to politics and not based on fact or reality.
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Diri said Duke’s reference to Bayelsa and its difficult, swampy terrain was out of sync with the reality about development in the state.
He contended that if Duke was in tune with happenings in Bayelsa, where his administration had built roads and bridges across swamps and the mangroves, he would have known that the coastal road project was possible.
The governor stated, “I have seen the trending video clip of the former governor of Cross River State, His Excellency Donald Duke, on an Arise Television programme.
“To say the least, I feel disappointed that former Governor Duke, who is from our region, made such comment.
“Clearly, he is not abreast of current developments in road construction and infrastructure development in our state.
“I want to believe that his criticism had political colourations and he did not consider the significance of a such a project to our region.”
Diri explained, “In Bayelsa, we have successfully constructed dual carriage roads and bridges in similar terrain and our state is better for it.
“The Nembe-Brass road, the Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge road, and the Yenagoa-Oporoma road, which are major causeways in our three senatorial districts, are all in swampy terrain.
“Ditto for the 630-metre bridge across River Nun at Angiama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, which is one of the longest in the region.
“Dualised roads in the New Yenagoa City, the dualised Glory Drive Phase 1, 2 and 3 were built through the forest and swamps. Yenagoa is not what Duke described it.
“So, he is wrong. The Lagos-Calabar coastal road is buildable and possible.”
The governor further noted that the project was critical to unlocking development in the states and riverine communities along its pathway.
According to him, the coastal highway is also very dear to the Ijaw ethnic nationality as it is one of the projects that the Ijaw National Congress (INC), even from its inception in the 1990s, clamoured for.
He said it was only the administration of President Bola Tinubu that eventually undertook the project after many years of presenting the request to previous governments at the centre.
Diri said that was one of his reasons for joining All Progressives Congress (APC), as the interest of his people was paramount.
He cautioned against politicising development during election seasons, saying the consequences are often borne by the people that politicians seek their votes.
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