Residents, motorists lament deplorable state of roads in Yenagoa

Residents and motorists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, have lamented over the deplorable state of roads in the town, urging the state government to wade in and ameliorate the suffering of the people.

Some residents and tricycle operators plying the roads appealed to the Governor Douye Diri’s administration to urgently address the situation.

A tricycle operator, Victor Joseph, told the Niger Delta Trust that the deplorable state of the roads in the state capital has affected their business adversely, as they are made to ply longer distances.

He said the situation has also been causing serious traffic logjam on the major roads in the state capital, thereby delaying passengers.

He said: “Government should take the issue of internal roads in Yenagoa as priority, everybody should not be competing for space on the two major roads in the state capital.

“Roads in Yenagoa need urgent attention, to give it a state capital status,” he said.

A resident of YenizueGene community of Yenagoa, Monica Adams, said due to the deplorable state of the roads in the town, criminal elements are now cashing in to perpetrate their acts.

When Niger Delta Trust visited some of the roads, which include the popular PDP Road in Yenizue-Gene, Samphino in Kpansia, Okaka and Agudama-Epie, the residents expressed their displeasure at the attitude of the state government to their previous appeals.

The state government recently promised to rehabilitate over 50 internal roads that are in deplorable state in Yenagoa.

The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Moses Teibowei, while inspecting some roads within the state capital, said funds for the rehabilitation have been approved and that most of the jobs would be given to indigenous contractors to handle.