Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has revealed that all governors in the South-South region are united in rejecting the Federal Government’s plan to merge the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the existing East-West Road, insisting that the two projects are distinct and must both proceed. Diri, who chairs the South-South Governors’ Forum, made the disclosure during the 200th session of the Bayelsa State Executive Council at Government House in Yenagoa.
The governor recounted a private conversation with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, after reports emerged that the coastal highway would be realigned through the East-West Road. “I privately called the Minister of Works and said, ‘Honourable Minister, that is a no, no, no for us. These are two different projects,’” Diri said. He stressed that while the East-West Road should be reconstructed, its rehabilitation must not replace the coastal highway. “While you reconstruct the East-West Road, the coastal road must continue because you have already won the hearts of all the coastal states,” he added.
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Diri said he told the minister directly that his position reflected the collective stance of the region’s governors. “He kept mentioning Mr President’s name, and I felt that he was the implementer and was the one who addressed the media. So, go back and tell Mr President that this is the position of the governors of the South-South, because I also speak as chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum,” he stated.
The governor was also sharply critical of former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, who had argued in a television interview that the coastal highway was not feasible because Bayelsa State is built on a swamp. Diri described Duke as a jester and a pretender, questioning his political base and his record in office. “He said the coastal road was not feasible, and his reason was that even the state capital of Bayelsa is a swamp. According to him, for the coastal road to pass through Bayelsa, 100 to 200 bridges would have to be constructed,” Diri said. He added that Duke’s criticism was particularly offensive because it used Bayelsa as an example of a place where roads cannot be built.
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