Local contractors benefit as Bayelsa pays N46bn for capital projects

Bayelsa State Government has spent N46 billion on payments to local contractors, numbering 175, who have undertaken series of capital projects and various jobs across the State, thereby positively impacting the local economy.

Moses Teibowei, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, made the disclosure on Monday in Yenagoa when some journalists inquired whether the State Government awarded any contracts to local contractors or not.

The Correspondents, who are members of the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, had met the commissioner to get clarifications following a project tour to the newly completed Polaku-Sabagrieia bridge.

In response to a question on the engagement of local contractors, Teibowei showed a folder containing the names of the contractors, projects and costs to buttress his statement.

He stated, “I have a bill of N46 billion for January to local contractors, who are handling various jobs from internal roads to construction of pavilions in communities across the State.:

The commissioner mentioned the names of some the communities including Opokuma, the NYSC Orientation Camp, Sampou, Odi, Sangana, Amassoma, Oporoma, Akeddei, Bulou-Orua and many others.

Teibowei affirmed that Governor Douye Diri’s Administration had constructed more internal roads than any other Administration since the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996.

“The number of internal roads constructed by this Prosperity Government, I can beat my chest. I can tell you and I can be able to take you round all of them.

“There’s no government, from the creation of Bayelsa State since 1996 till date, that has done more internal roads in Yenagoa than His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri.

“I can also beat my chest to tell you there’s no administration, since the creation of Bayelsa State, that has done more internal roads in our communities than His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri,” he stated.

He said over 30 internal roads are currently under construction, in addition to big signature projects like nine-storey State Secretariat building and 25,000-seater stadium.

Other high profile projects include Phase 1 of the Nembe-Brass road, Phase 3 of the Glory Drive, the Ekeremor-Agge road as well as extension of the Oporoma-Koluama road.

Teibowei explained that while Governor Douye Diri would want to carry out more projects, the government is also considering how much the administration has left and the huge cost implications of the ongoing jobs.

Another reason he gave for the temporary halt in awarding new jobs including rehabilitation of internal roads is the recent hike in the price of petroleum products, which result in calls for variation by contractors.

“Now that we have two years left, we need to look at the jobs that we have awarded; how we will be able to pay for those jobs before we go into more jobs.

“So, I’m working with the Commissioner for Finance to see how we will be able to balance this,” he stated.

Continuing, Teibowei stated, “If we award and award, and we don’t pay, then they will turn to white elephant jobs. Government is paying for stadium, government is paying for nine-storey building.

“So, we need to balance our act to be able to meet all these commitments. We have done costings on the bad roads, but with the cost of petrol, everything has increased. So, you cannot go and award new jobs.”

On the Polaku-Sabagrieia bridge, Teibowei explained that the state government took over the project from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and completed it to reduce travel time and cost for the residents.