Bayelsa To Immortalise Wigwe

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said his administration is considering immortalising the late Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, for his contribution to development of the state.

Wigwe, his wife, son and a former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Abimola Ogunbanjo, died in a helicopter crash last weekend in the United States.

Speaking on Tuesday during the inauguration of sections 2 and 3 of the 22km Yenagoa Outer Ring Road, which was constructed by Lubrik, one of Access Bank’s subsidiaries, Governor Diri said he will consult with elders and stakeholders in the state with a view to naming the road after the late consummate banker and businessman.

He also explained that Wigwe was largely instrumental to completion of the road project.

Diri stated that the contract sum had been fully paid to the company, assuring that in his second term, the other part of the dualised road would be completed.

He said: “With the completion of the first part of this road, it means that we can drive from Elebele to Igbogene and from there to the Ecumenical Centre and then to Tombia. In our second tenure, the remaining part of it will be completed to make it a complete ring road.”

Inaugurating the project, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, said the idea of immortalising Wigwe was a welcome development.

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While congratulating Diri on his electoral victory and second term inauguration on Wednesday, Governor Bago described Diri’s success as a clear manifestation of the people’s staunch support to his administration.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Moses Teibowei, said the construction and completion of sections 2 and 3 spanning from Okarki to Imiringi Road brought to full completion one of the single carriageway out of the dual carriageway from Elebele to Igbogene with a length of 21. 911km..

Teibowei explained that the road contract was first awarded during the tenure of former Governor Seriake Dickson and was inherited by the Diri administration.

He noted that the project was re-awarded to Lubrik Construction Company on January 4, 2021 and that the government executed it in phases of the single carriageway, including the median and solar-powered lights.

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Dignitaries who graced the event included former Senate President and former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, former Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, national and state lawmakers, among others.