₦30bn for 10-km road: Gov. Diri, LP’s Eradiri trade tackles over alleged ‘lavish spending’

By Nathan Nwakamma

Yenagoa, Sept. 30. 2023

The ₦30 billion spent on a 10.2-kilometre dual carriageway, recently inuagurated in Yenagoa, has pitched the Labour Party (LP) guber candidate, Udengs Eradiri again Gov. Douye Diri.

The LP flagbearer in the Nov. 11 governorship poll, Mr Eradiri, had criticised Diri for using ₦30 billion only for the completion of the road that had been substantially finished by the previous administrations in Bayelsa.

Eradiri’s query was how can the current administration in the state spend ad ₦30 billion to complete a road inherited at advanced state of completion?

“This is outrageous and shows a lack of prudence with public funds by the Diri-led administration.

But the Chief Press Secretary to Diri, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, responded, saying that Eradiri lied because he was seeking to score cheap political points.

Eradiri, however, appealed to the state governor to address the facts around prudence, accountability and transparency that he  raised concerning the road project.

Eradiri’s questions in Yenagoa were in response to Diri’s statement criticising him for telling the public that the governor spent ₦30 billion to construct the 10.2-km phase two Glory Drive Road in Yenagoa, amounting to ₦3 billion per kilometre.

Eradiri alleged that Diri dissipated his energy calling him a liar without justifying “the bogus figure”.

Eradiri said: “The people of Bayelsa expected Gov. Diri to provide a contrary cost for the project, something lower than the N30 billion he allegedly spent.

“Diri should come clean on the cost of all his projects,” he said, alleging that cost of these projects are usually shrouded in secrecy.

“I challenge him to publish the costs of some of his projects, because it is the people’s money and the people deserve to know.

“Transparency and accountability in governance are the foundation of trust in leadership.

Diri, at the inauguration of the road project recently, put the cost of the 10.2- km road at N30 billion.