YENEGWE-KOLO-NEMBE- BRASS ROAD IN PERSPECTIVE

GOVERNOR SERIAKE DICKSON

JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY NEMBE IBE ROAD PROJECTS GROUP AND OTUEGILA – NEMBE ROAD PROJECT FORUM

BY: SAINT MIENPAMO

At a meeting of representatives of the Nembe Ibe Road Projects Group and the Otuegila – Nembe Road Project Forum, it was resolved that this joint communiqué be issued for the attention of the oil producing companies (SPDC, NAOC, CHEVRON/TEXACO, etc.) operating in our communities, the Bayelsa State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria, in particular, and the Nigerian public in general, to appeal specifically for the immediate commencement and speedy completion of construction work on the following long-proposed and long overdue roads:

1. The Yenegwe–Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road
2. The Otuegila-Amoroto-Kugbo-Akani-Oluasiri-Idema-Okoroba-Nembe Road
3. The Ogbia Junction-Akipelai-Etiema-Nembe Road

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Nembe Ibe Road Projects Group is a group of Chiefs, Elders, Professionals and Leaders of Thought in the Nembe speaking area of Bayelsa State, comprising Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas, formed primarily to pursue the realization of the above-mentioned road links to the Nembe Ibe area of Nigeria, as well as a supporting internal network of roads between and within our communities, and also to foster peace and unity amongst the Nembe -Ibe people in the pursuit of development.

Similarly, the Otuegila-Nembe Road Project Forum is a group of Chiefs, Elders, Youth Leaders, Professionals and Women Representatives from various major oil producing communities in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, as well as Ogbia and Nembe Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State, which communities are situate along the route of the proposed Otuegila-Amoroto-Kugbo-Akani-Oluasiri-Idema-Okoroba-Nembe Road (also known as the Otuegila-Nembe Road for Short). This group, as the name implies, was formed principally for the peaceful but resolute pursuit of the construction of the Otuegila-Nembe Road.

The communities in the Nembe Ibe area (Nembe and Brass LGAs of Bayelsa State) together with the other communities in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State and Abua/Odual LGA of Rivers State that are to be served by the above-listed proposed roads collectively account for over 15% of Nigeria’s oil production and about 20% of the country’s gas production. The lengthy list of oil/gas exploration and production (E&P) facilitates hosted by these communities is shown in the Appendix to this communiqué.

Despite their huge collective contribution to Nigeria’s public revenues, especially for the past 50 (FIFTY) years, these communities remain unconnected by road to themselves or to the rest of Nigeria.
In particular, the Nembe-Ibe area is the only area of its geographical size and pre-eminent oil/gas production status in Nigeria that is not connected to the rest of (“Mainland”) Nigeria by road. We make bold to say that all true Nembe Ibe people, chiefs, elders, professionals, public servants, women and youths alike consider this an unacceptable. Regrettably, our country, Nigeria, and the various governments and relevant oil producing companies seem unconcerned about this. The Nembe Ibe people feel frustrated at this total neglect.

Government and the oil companies have at different times since the 1960’s (Over 40 years now) variously promised to construct the three roads listed above, each designed to connect different sets of communities and oil/gas locations, but they have been consistent only in not fulfilling their promises.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has had the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road on its drawing board since 1972 but has failed to give us this road ever since.

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) made various public commitments to build the Otuegila-Nembe Road. It even called for tenders for the construction of the road, vide its advert in the Guardian newspaper of Monday August 2001, in which it indicated the commencement date as January 2002 and completion date as December 2005. SPDC has again not met that publicized commitment by failing to commence work up till now.

The Bayelsa State Government promised some years ago to construct the then 19 km Ogbia- Nembe-Road. but has failed to deliver on that promise, citing lack of funds as the reason, In spite of the several billions of Naira accruing to the state every month since the year 2000 on account of the statutory allocation of 13% of oil revenues to the oil producing States.

At various times, the Federal Government proposed Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe- Brass Road has been listed in the Federal Budget and allocated meager sums, but the road has still not been constructed. This road has again been listed in the 2005 Federal Budget, but the allocation made for it is unsatisfactory and does not inspire any confidence in us that work on the road will start in earnest and be completed anytime soon.

DEMANDS/OBSERVATIONS

PAINED BY THIS CONTINUOUSLY NEGLECT OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND MINDFUL OF THE GROWING, IF NOT SIMMERING, FRUSTRATION AND TENSION AMONGST OUR PEOPLE (AND ESPECIALLY AMONGST OUR MOSTLY UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS) INSPITE OF THE HUGE SUMS BEING ALLOCATED FOR PROJECTS ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, (SOME OF WHICH ARE” LAGOS RING ROAD N500m FOR DESIGN AND N117b PROPOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION; NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX PHASE II PROJECT N25b, NATIONAL CULTURAL CENTRE, ABUJA N74b) WE HAVE RESOLVED TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING DEMANDS AND OBSERVATIONS:
That our said communities, comprising the entire Nembe and Brass LGAs as well as numerous communities in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State and Abua/Odual LGA of Rivers State, are entitled to have the above-listed three roads constructed as an overdue minimum dividend of our membership of this country and collective contribution to the funding of Nigeria.

That the relevant government agencies and oil companies should therefore take steps to commence work on these roads at the earliest possible time, and to ensure their completion before the end of the tenure of the present administration in 2007.
Specifically, the Federal Government should expeditiously execute the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road with the aim of completing it before the end of the present administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in May 2007, as a token of benefit to the Nembe Ibe people from the Obasanjo administration.

That the Federal Government should also directly or if necessary, in collaboration with SPDC and other development stakeholders ensure the speedy execution of the Otuegila-Nembe Road for which it invited proposals for engineering design in the THISDAY newspaper edition of Thursday, June 3, 2004.

That SPDC should take immediate steps to fulfill its variously and publicly declared commitment to build the Otuegila-Nembe Road, for which it continues to bear primary responsibility, and for which we are aware that the Bayelsa State Government ha by Govt. Notice No.13 of 20/10/2003 (Revocation of Rights of Occupancy Notice) acquired the necessary land for the segments of the proposed route that lie in Bayelsa State.

That the Bayelsa State Government should demonstrate beyond doubt its financial commitment to the development of the Nembe Ibe area by taking urgent steps to directly or in partnership with the Federal Government, SPDC, NAOC, Chevron/Texaco and NDDC, actualize either the Ogbia-Nembe Road or the Otuegila-Nembe Road before the end of the Governor DSP Alamieyeseigha (Phd, JP) Administration in 2007. We are constrained to say that in the absence of such a clear and direct financial commitment, the Nembe Ibe people would have lost any hope of a sense of belonging from the administration.

That we note with cautious optimism the current efforts between the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and SPDC to jointly construct the now 22 km Ogbia Junction-Nembe Road, which for now seems to be the only serious initiative to link some parts of Nembe Ibe area by road. We however demand expedited action to ensure actual commencement and substantial progress in construction during 2005.

We invite attention to the numerous benefits to be derived from the construction of these three roads, including the following:

Providing road access to the largest oil fields in the country and the upcoming Brass Liquefied Natural Gas Plant.

Providing road access to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company facilities at Brass
Providing road access to the LNG Supply Plant (Soku/Oluasiri area) which provides over 50% of the gas feed stock for the NLNG Plant at Bonny.

Providing road access to most of the other oil/gas locations listed in the accompanying table, including the Okoroba field which boasts one of the largest proven reserves of oil/gas in Nigeria and indeed Africa.

Reduction of transportation difficulties of the riverine communities in Ogbia, Nembe, Brass and Abua/Odual Local Government Areas.

Creating an enabling environment for the establishment of industries which will provide employment for our restive youths.

Enhancement of the tourist potential of the Niger Delta region.

Providing easier access to the seaports of Brass and Akassa

Opening up the rich agricultural and fishery areas to be traversed by the roads.

Minimizing the frequent boat disasters in the area, with attendant loss of lives and property.

Enhancing the security of the oil and gas installations in the area.

That henceforth our communities should be given their fair share of projects, employment/appointments and other forms of development, commensurate to our oil production quota by the Federal and State governments, the oil companies, NDDC and other development agencies.

FINALLY, WE WISH TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT FOR TOO LONG. WE DEMAND OUR FAIR DUE, IN VIEW OF THE VAST RESOURCES AND WEALTH EXTRACTED FROM OUR COMMUNITIES OVER THE DECADES.

Signed:

Prof. Sir (Chief) E.J. Alagoa Kala-Joe
Chairman, NIRPG

Engr. Sir (Prof) Y.O. Beredugo
Vice-President, NIRPG

NEMBE IBE ROAD PROJECTS GROUP
CONTACT COMMITTEE

11. Orogbum Crescent,
GRA Phase II,
Port Harcourt,
Federal Secretariat
P.O.BOX

Your Excellency,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR,
President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Aso Rock Villa,
Abuja

Your Excellency,

THE YENEGWE – KOLO – NEMBE – BRASS ROAD

We are a group of opinion leaders of Nembe Ibe in Bayelsa State who are concerned about the much talked about Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road which appears to have been in the “planning stages” since 1964. To put Your Excellency in the picture, we have taken the liberty of giving a brief History of this Road as Attachment “A”.

As your Excellency can see, the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road has a tortuous history. Roads which were conceived and designed long after this road have been constructed or are under construction. Prime examples are the Emohua – Degema – Abonnema Road, (in terrain that is very similar to the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road), the Ibadan – Ife Road dualisation, the Benin Ring Road, the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Road dualisation, to mention just a few.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YENEGWE–KOLO–NEMBE–BRASS ROAD

The importance of this road includes but is not limited to the following:

This road will open up a rich Agricultural Area

It will provide road access to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Terminal at Brass as well as NAOC’s recently acquired Okpoama Oil Fields. Shell’s Nembe Creek and Odioama Creek Oil fields will also become more accessible.

The tourist potential of Bayelsa State will be considerably enhanced

The transportation difficulties of the riverine communities of Ogbia, Nembe Ibe, Akassa and even Koluama will be reduced.

It will create an enabling environment for the establishment of industries which will provide employment for our restive youths. Thus it will help to reduce the overwhelming pressure on the youths to drift to urban centres

IT will improve the security of the oil and gas installations in this area.

This road traverses a very rich oil and gas producing region which has been neglected over the years.

It will minimize the frequent boat disasters with the attendant loss of lives and property.

ACTION DURING THE FIRST TERM OF THE OBASANJOR/ATIKU ABUBAKAR ADMINISTRATION

We are happy to note that Your Excellency is aware of the importance of this road and that during your first tenure, Chief Melford Okilo, the Senator representing our Senatorial District (Bayelsa East Senatorial District) at the time graciously made available to us a copy of your letter ref. No. PRES/131 dated April 23, 2003 in which you assured him that “the Honourable Minister of Works has confirmed that a design contract is in the process of being awarded for the (Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass) Road, and that this road is also scheduled for construction within Year 2001 – 2003 Rolling Plan for highway development in the country”. A copy of this letter is attached. We know that Your Excellency is a man of his words and that you will fulfill this promise which you made to our elected representative. Our reason for bringing this to Your Excellency’s attention at this time is because there is a new Minister of Works who may be unaware of Your Excellency’s commitment to the people of Bayelsa East Senatorial District, especially as no action appears to have been taken on the design and construction of this road. We find this very worrisome since 2003 is almost ending.

OUR PRAYER
Your Excellency, our prayer is that the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road be built by the Federal Government as a matter of extreme urgency.

It can be seen that this road will contribute immensely to the development of Ogbia, Nembe Ibe, Akassa and other riverine communities. In addition this road will ease the transportation problems associated with oil gas exploration in the Central Niger Delta.

Over the years there does not appear to be the political will to redress this injustice that has been meted to people of Nembe Ibe. Indeed Oloibiri, which will be served by this road, was the first Nigerian Oil filed which was discovered in 1956 and started producing in 1958. Nembe Ibe alone accounts for approximately 10% and 16% of the total oil and gas respectively produced in Nigeria. These figures do not include the oil and gas production of the other communities such as Ogbia, Akassa and Koluama which will benefit from the Yenegwe – Kolo – Nembe – Brass Road.

As a substantial oil and gas producing area, (see production figures in Attachment “B”), Nembe Ibe deserves a better deal. There is little or no Federal presence in Bayelsa State and we find it difficult to accept that the wealth derivable from our land cannot be utilized to provide this vital infrastructure for Nembe Ibe. We have been marginalized for far too long. We can confirm that the people of Nembe Ibe are frustrated. We therefore urge Your Excellency to take immediate action on this project to give us a sense of belonging. We know that Your Excellency has the political will to do what is right and we are therefore awaiting your further action on this road. We trust that you will not fail us.
We remain,
Yours Faithfully,

Chief Prof. E.J. Alagoa Kala-Joe

Engr. Prof. Y.O. Beredugo
(Third person to replace Secretary)

ATTACHMENT “A”
OUTLINE HISTORY OF YENEGWE-KOLO-NEMBE-BRASS ROAD

1963 Yenegwe-Nembe Road is proposed for construction along with the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road and the Ahoada-Degema hulk by the Niger Delta Development Board, as part of plans to open up the area.

8 August 1972 Rivers State Government awards Contract No. R2-72/73 to Delta Consult Ltd “to survey, design and build a road connectingthe Nembe and Oloibiri regions to the existing Mbiama-Yenagoa Road”

July 1973 Delta Consult submits its report.

1974 Contract for the construction of the road is awarded to MCC (Monier Construction Company Ltd).

1974/1975 Federal Government takes over the road as a Federal project and the road plan is extended to Brass, an Oil Terminal. The project is known thereafter as the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road.

July 1975 Change of government takes place and work does not proceed thereafter.

1980 Federal Government re-awards the contract to OCC Ltd and some filling and building of culverts is done between the Yenegwe Kolo segments.

1983 Another change of government. Once again the project was abandoned.

1990 Contracts for the road are re-awarded in segments. C&C Ltd is commissioned to execute the Yenegwe-Kolo segment while Dumez is contracted to construct Kolo-Nembe-Brass segment

1992 President Ibrahim Babangida formally flags off the project

1992-2003 No work done

Current Status The Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road Remains Abandoned

In 2005: The SPCD and NDDC signed an MOU to complete the road

RECENT EFFORTS PIONEERED BY THE NEMBE -IBE ROAD PROJECT

His Excellency
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
President and Commander-In-Chief
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Presidential Villa
Aso Rock
Abuja

Your Excellency,

YENEGWE-KOLO-NEMBE-BRASS ROAD AND OTUEGILA-EMAGO-AKANI-OLUASIRI-OKOROBA-NEMBE-ROAD: WHEN WILL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO SOMETHING FOR THE NEMBE-IBE PEOPLE?

You would recall that by letter dated the Nembe-Ibe Road Projects Group appealed to you to approve the award of the contracts for the construction of the above-mentioned roads to link up our communities, for the first time, to the rest of Nigeria and open up the Nembe-Ibe territory for greater economic activity. We did not as much as receive even a reply to our letter of appeal.

Thereafter, we sent two delegations to meet with the honourable minister of works (Chief………Ogunlewe, at the time), On ……….. And ………. Respectively, to impress upon him the Urgent need to execute these roads, on both occasions, we did not get any satisfactory results. Infact, on our second visit, we were treated like Beggars seeking for an undeserved favour.

The foregoing, your Excellency, explains why we are left with no choice than to write this open letter to you through the National Media, in the Hope that it will not escape your attention this time and shall elicit your kind and prompt action.

In the mean time, we have noted with utmost regret, collective disappointment and rising frustration that once again the annual budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been passed, in the whopping sum of N1.9 trillion this year and, as has always been the case, No provision was made for the Executive of the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road and/or the Otuegila-Amuruto-Amurekeni-Emago/Kugbo-Akani-Oluasiri-Okoroba-Agrisaba-Nembe Road that have been in the proverbial pipeline for the past 40 Years and 10 Years respectively. The Nembe-Ibe people are now asking themselves “What has our country ever done for us, and what really is our stake in the House of Nigeria?”

As Elders, accomplished professionals, and opinion leaders of Nembe-Ibe committed to the Fostering of Peace, Unity, Development and the General well being of the Nembe-Ibe people, comprised in the Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State, and d etermined to ensure that the Nembe-Ibe people take their deserving pride of place in the Nigeria and the Global Community of the 21st Century, we are constrained for the umpteenth time to call attention to the protracted neglect and deprivation to which our people have been subjected by Governments at all levels in the 45 Years since Nigeria attained Independence and especially in the 7 Years since the Advent of your current Civilian Administration.

We humbly wish to remind your Excellency that Nembe-Ibe as an ethnic and Geographic Bloc, consisting of Nembe and Brass LGAs as mentioned above, is about the single largest contributor to the public revenues of Nigeria and IPSO FACTO, of Bayelsa State, accounting for approximately 10% of the country’s Oil production and 15% of Gas production, to say nothing of the offshore Oil and Gas production/Reserves in the Vast continental shelf abutting the Nembe-Ibe Coastline.

For ease of Reference, the Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Installations in Nembe-Ibe Territory Include, but are not Limited to the following:…………

Yet Nembe-Ibe remains the only significant, if not literally the only, segment of Nigeria that is up till this moment not linked to the rest of Nigeria by Road. Besides our Rich Network of Natural Waterways, the only Physical link between the Nembe-Ibe Islands and “Continental” Nigeria is the complex Network of Oil and Gas Pipelines that Siphon the mineral resources sucked out of our Land to other parts of Nigeria (and to foreign countries through the Brass Export Terminal).

Current and previous generations of Nembe-Ibe Leaders have made countless, tiring, but unsuccessful, efforts at attracting Development projects (such as the two roads cited above) through Dialogue and other peaceful means, even our youths have been exemplary in this peaceful approach but they, like us too, are getting sick and tired of being paid deaf ears! the Onus is on Government to demonstrate to us the practical dividends of Dialogue and peaceful agitation, rather than to preach pretentiously about non-violence whenever Niger Delta Youths are pushed by Official Callousness to adopt the admittedly undesirable approach of violent agitation.

Obviously therefore, it seems that Government and the Oil Companies alike consider the Terrain of Nembe-Ibe as being too difficult for the building of Roads and other development infrastructure, but Easy enough for the construction of sub-sea pipelines and the Extraction of Billions of Petro-Dollars to feed the corporate/Government appetite for Maximum Profits and easy public revenue for spending or Developing Elsewhere.

The Nembe-Ibe people can no longer accept this Shabby treatment, as there can be no conceivable justification for it, especially in the face of the unprecedented and continuous oil revenue windfall enjoyed by your Excellency’s administration and tagged “Excess Crude proceeds”.

Mr. President, The Oil Prolific Nembe-Ibe Communities cannot Fathom any sensible notion of “Excess Oil Revenue savings” while they continue to wallow in “Excess underdevelopment and abject poverty”.

for 40 years and 10 years respectively, the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road and the Otuegila-Emago-Oluasiri-Okoroba-Nembe Road have remained mere proposals, while other roads proposed along with them or subsequently have not only been long completed but, in many cases, have been dualized or Extended. Examples, just to Name a few, are the Lagos- Ibadan-Shagamu Road, the Lagos Badagry Road, the Third Mainland Bridge, (and the Fourth Mainland Bridge now in the Offing): Not to mention countless Roads in other parts of Nigeria.

OUR EARNEST PRAYER

We have followed the reports from the Niger Delta stakeholders summit just hosted by your Excellency on the 5th of April 2006, Sequel to the recent release of the last set of expatriate Hostages that were held by Militant Youth Groups in the Niger Delta Region. We note with optimism and great expectation your Excellency’s assurances of matching words with action in terms of Accelerated Infrastructural Development of the Region.

Our immediate prayer from your Excellency, Therefore, is for an urgent supplementary budget provision of $400 million out of the over $16 billion standing in the so-called excess crude proceeds account (much of which is from our Oil and Gas fields), for the execution of the Yenegwe-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road (with an Extension to Akassa) and the Otuegila- Amuroto-Amurekeni- Emago/Kugbo-Akani-Oluasiri-Okoroba-Agrisaba-Nembe Road.

Granted that there is sincerity of purpose on the part of Government, your Excellency can cause the contracts for the Execution of these Roads to be awarded before 29th May 2006, the 7th Year Anniversary of your Administration. The Federal Ministry of Works Already has the designs of both Roads, and your gracious early approval for the award of the contracts shall allow for full advantage to be taken of the dry season that will set in latter in the year. This will be to your Excellency’s everlasting credit.

Mr. President, please let the historic and Oil-Rich Communities of Nembe-Ibe remember you for good!

God bless our communities, God bless you, Mr. President, and God bless Nigeria!

Signed:

_________________________ _________________________
Prof. Sir (Chief) E.J. Alagoa Kala-Joe
Chairman, NIRPG

_________________________ _________________________
Engr. Sir (Prof) Y.O. Beredugo
Vice-President, NIRPG



BAYELSA PEOPLE ARE HAPPY THAT GOVERNOR HENRY SERIAKE DICKSON HAS TAKEN THE ROAD AS ONE OF HIS STAR PROJECTS FROM THE BEGINNING.