By Oyintokoni Joel , Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has rejected the alleged realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing it as an insult to the Ijaw people and the entire Niger Delta.
The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Mac -Ake, stated this on Monday during a media parley with journalists in Yenagoa.
Prince Ake said Bayelsans and people of the oil-producing areas were initially excited when President Bola Tinubu announced plans to construct the coastal road, as it represented a long-held dream becoming reality, but noted that the execution pattern has become worrisome.
“You cannot say you want to do a 750-kilometre road, you are starting from Lagos. It was after so much complaint they tried to start from Calabar. If you have borrowed fifteen trillion and mobilized the contractor, what stops you from putting multiple strings of construction?” he queried.
He described Bayelsa as the highest beneficiary of the coastal road, lamenting that the hope of the people was dashed by news of realignment.
“Bayelsa is the highest beneficiary of the coastal road. Our hopes were high only to wake up in the middle of the night to hear about realignment. This is just like George Orwell’s Animal Farm where all animals are equal but some are more equal than others and before you know it, in the middle of the night they change the rules. We will not fall into that trap as Ijaw people, we will reject it in totality. The road must follow its original plan,”he said.
“It is taxpayers’ money, it is not their money. Why are they not complaining of drilling and doing exploration in Bayelsa State? When it comes to oil, exploration is not expensive, but when it comes to development for our own people, it is now expensive,” he added.
The NDC spokesman said if the Federal Government intends to abandon the project due to high cost, it should be honest with Nigerians and concentrate on completing the East-West Road rather than deceiving the people with realignment.
“Give us the original coastal road. If you want to abandon the coastal road because of high cost, tell us Nigerians that we want to abandon it but we now want to focus on East-West Road. Then we know they are two different issues. Not to talk about realignment. It’s an insult to our people,” he said.
On the Minister of Works, Prince Ake said: “I don’t think David Umahi, if it happens to be in a country that has accountable leadership, would still be in office, he would have resigned by now. But rather I see him boasting that people are calling for his resignation and he will not resign. That is the President that is sending him.”
Prince Ake also condemned the recently announced one-month fuel rebate and special allowances for civil servants, describing it as a ploy to deceive vulnerable Nigerians.
“There is what they call special allowances that they want to start paying civil servants nationwide, subsidy, they say one month rebate, fuel rebate, whatever they call it, that’s fraud. They want to deceive vulnerable Nigerians. They are never here for us. Their system has failed, their government has failed,” he said.
According to him, Nigerians are demanding an increase in wages to improve living standards, not temporary allowances.
“When Nigerians are crying that wages should be increased so that the living standards of Nigerians can be improved, they are talking about allowances,” he said.
He cited a recent IMF report which, according to him, has rubbished the Federal Government’s economic growth claims, noting that Nigerians’ living standards remain poor.
“You can’t say you are growing a macro economy when your micro economy is nowhere to be found. The living standard of Nigerians is below a dollar. Over one hundred and thirty million people in extreme poverty, they call it multidimensional poverty. That is what Nigerians are facing,” he said.
Prince Ake said Mr. Peter Gregory Obi and the NDC are positioned to take advantage of bad governance to deliver good governance.
“We keep challenging Nigerians, if you know anything about Peter Obi, bring it forth for discussion,” he added.
He reiterated that Obi’s emergence has put fear in Tinubu’s camp, noting that Obi won Bayelsa in 2023.
“Obi won in Bayelsa in 2023 but because of structure he was not sworn in. Now Obi has structure and the structure is NDC and NDC has organic supporters,” he said.
He further lamented that Bayelsa means nothing to the APC, citing the state’s alleged exclusion from the coastal road project, seaports development and President Tinubu’s campaign itinerary, and noted that Governor Douye Diri’s defection to the APC has not yielded a single federal appointment or the realization of the Agge Deep Seaport.
He described NDC candidates as proven business leaders, citing Mr. Dau Tekenai, owner of one of the top three insurance firms in Nigeria for Bayelsa East, and Mr. Reuben Okoya, a construction magnate, while praising the founder and national leader of the party, Distinguished Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, who he said gave Nigerians a credible alternative within eight months and is the party’s candidate for Bayelsa West.
