The Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has revealed that the immediate past President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), did not pioneer any project in the state during his eight-year tenure. The governor mentioned this fact at the inauguration and handover ceremony of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Yenagoa, a project initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Governor Diri appreciated the completion of projects commenced by his predecessor but noted that Bayelsa is yet to witness any new project during the Buhari administration. The governor explained that the cost of executing infrastructural projects in the state is relatively high; a kilometre of standard road in Bayelsa could cost as much as constructing four kilometres of the same road grade in some regions of the country.
Represented by his deputy Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the governor hoped that the Federal Government would henceforth be more cautious when evaluating and executing projects in Bayelsa. Governor Diri iterated that the Federal Government has now benefited from the encounter with the challenging situation in Bayelsa State, learning about the cost and intricacies of infrastructural development.
The Dr Goodluck Jonathan Federal Secretariat Project in Yenagoa was initiated in 2011 and completed by MS Trenur Nigeria Limited. It has 342 offices, a banking hall, a post office, and a standard conference hall, the Ambassador Godknows Igali Conference Hall, named after a former federal permanent secretary. The Federal Government completed the secretariat projects in Yenagoa, Awka and Gusau to save cost on office accommodation for its workers in the three states.
