Sylvester Idowu in Warri

A peace and environmental advocate, Sheriff Mulade, has called on the federal government to allocate a fair share of infrastructural projects to the Niger Delta’s coastal communities, particularly in the development of critical roads and bridges.

Reacting to the government’s planned N3.8 trillion upgrade of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge yesterday, Mulade urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to channel similar energy and resources into the creeks.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, had recently announced that the bridge’s overhaul will address deep structural concerns, coming months after N21 billion was spent on emergency repairs. Meanwhile, Julius Berger declared the Carter Bridge in Lagos beyond repair, recommending a N359 billion replacement.

Mulade lamented decades of oil and gas exploitation that have left Niger Delta communities impoverished, stressing that while the Third Mainland Bridge project is laudable, similar attention should be given to projects like the Warri-Gbaramatu-Escravos Bridge, the Forcados-Ogulagha Bridge, and the extension of the Ayakoroma Bridge to Burutu-Forcados Terminal.

“These projects would open up most coastal areas, including Odimodi, Izon-Burutu to Agge, and Obotobo, to infrastructural and economic development,” he said.

He emphasised that while the Third Mainland Bridge funding will largely come from oil revenues, the host communities that generate the bulk of this wealth continue to be sidelined.

Mulade asked: “If this amount can be invested in that project, what then is the fate of the Niger Delta people, where oil and gas are flared daily to generate not less than 80 percent of the funds?

“We agree Lagos has IGR that can run itself to a reasonable extent, but 80 per cent of the fund will come from the oil revenue, of course, from the FEC, to construct that bridge.

“And we have been clamoring for a single road to even connect Escravos Terminal in Gbaramatu Kingdom area in Delta State, which is an economically viable end because of the Escravos Terminal, but nothing has been done. We also clamoured for Burutu hosting the Forcados Terminal and one of Nigeria’s first seaports, but still none. Even Brass, it is the Bayelsa State Government that took the bull by the horns to construct that bridge, and we pray that he will be able to complete it.”

He further accused some governors of the South-South region of deliberate marginalisation.

According to him, “I feel the non-Ijaw governors in the region are deliberately depriving us of significant developmental projects which is our rights in Nigeria for now by refusing to positively impact on the people in the coastal areas with life transforming projects as they plan to lure investors to do business in their own areas (upland) while leaving our people shortchanged, forcing them to migrate to upland for education, business and development.”

The activist warned that continued exclusion of the region bearing the brunt of resource extraction would only deepen inequality and resentment.

He, however, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to “change the narrative” and open up the coast area for jobs, wealth creation, and long-overdue economic justice.

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