Gov. Diri Meets President Buhari Over Medical University, Road Projects

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Wednesday, met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Governor Diri, who was accompanied to the meeting by his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, former Military Governor of Rivers State and Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, and the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama, King Bubaraye Dakolo, sought the President’s intervention and the support of the Federal Government in addressing some critical infrastructural and developmental issues in the state.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that in pursuance of the President’s policy to establish six new federal universities of medical sciences and bio-medical technology in the country, the state was willing to hand-over the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) to the federal government to cover the South-South region.

The governor noted that the medical institution was equipped with a 300-bed hospital and had all its programmes accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

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The governor equally sought the support and collaboration of the federal government on the ongoing three senatorial road projects in the state. They include the Yenagoa-Angiama-Oporoma-Ukubie road in Bayelsa Central, the Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge road (Bayelsa West) and the Yenagoa-Ogbia-Nembe-Brass road (Bayelsa East).

According to the governor, Bayelsa, being the most littoral and riverine state in Nigeria, grapples with very peculiar environmental challenges that place greater burden on the cost of infrastructure development.

“This notwithstanding, successive administrations have made spirited efforts to connect the state through massive investment in roads and bridges. Yet we have the least road coverage in the country, which makes most communities inaccessible by road.

“To take advantage of the Blue Economy, my administration h