Jonathan Inaugurates Nembe, Elebele Bridges in Bayelsa

Olusegun Samuel

Former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on Monday inaugurated the Nembe, Elebelele bridge linking communities in both Ogbia and Nembe local government areas of Bayelsa State.

While inaugurating the bridge in Nembe, Jonathan applauded the state governor, Senator Douye Diri for completing the project, which he noted would help to consolidate the peace and unity between both communities.

He said Diri had performed exceptionally well in infrastructure development in just two years in office.

The former president described the bridge as symbolic and urged the people of Nembe to learn to resolve their differences amicably, especially during elections rather than play politics of brigandage and violence.

“You have done well to complete this bridge project. I had to come and identify with this unique ceremony. Today should mark the end of any inter-communal conflict.

“The importance of this bridge cannot be over-emphasised. From what I have seen, this bridge is expensive, well-built and solid. And I hope it will solidify the unity between the people of the two communities.

“Politics should be a platform to bring development to our people and not to kill and chase them away from their communities. With the commissioning of this bridge, we pray that that brand of politics would also come to an end,” he added.

Diri said the Nembe bridge had been on the drawing board since the days of Eastern Nigeria, but that a former governor, who is now the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, started some construction work but the project was left till his administration took it over and completed it.

Describing the bridge as historic, the governor said the project was one that would heal wounds and engender peace and unity among the people of Nembe.

“My administration felt this is one historic and significant infrastructure that would help heal wounds. It is not only a physical bridge but a human bridge, especially between the brothers of Ogblomabiri and Bassambiri. Wherever there is war, development suffers and we lose not only infrastructure but human lives,” the governor added.

Earlier, the former president and the governor visited the Amanyanabo of Nembe, Mingi XII, King Edmund Daukoru, in Ogbolomabiri and Amanyanabo of Opu-Nembe, Ogbodo VIII, King Biobelemoye Josiah, in Bassambiri.

King Daukoru said the Nembe bridge was symbolic, noting that what it represented far outweighed the physical length of the project as there had been age-old differences between the two communities. He commended Diri for completing projects that he started as well as those inherited from his predecessors, describing the gesture as a mark of true leadership. He also appealed for the construction of the Nembe-Brass road among others.

King Josiah, on his part, commended the governor for the bridge project, noting that prior to its construction, there had been temporary bridges.

He solicited government’s support for the provision of electricity and pipe-borne water.

Also, speaking to journalists, the immediate past deputy governor of the state, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd), who hails from Nembe, gave thumbs up to the Diri administration for constructing the unity bridge, saying it was the first time since 1971 that a proper bridge had been built to connect both communities.

Jonah, who called on youths from both communities to sustain the existing bond of brotherhood, expressed the optimism that the project would foster more peace, unity and development.

“There had always been the desire that a bridge connects both communities. The first attempt to have a bridge was in 1971 during the administration of Alfred Diette-Spiff (in Rivers State). Since then, two bridges have been constructed – one wooden and the other steel.

“This is the first time we are getting a bridge that we need. There had been issues between the two communities. That is why it is called Unity Bridge to unite both sides.

“For Governor Diri to take this as one of the priority projects on assuming office, it is commendable. We were there for a very long time but we could not summon the courage to do it. He did what we could not do for eight years.”

While inaugurating the Elebele Bridge, Jonathan said its constru