The Bayelsa State Government has intervened in the dispute over the abandoned Akenfa link bridge in Yenagoa Local Government Area, urging residents to end their protest and remove the blockade placed on the operations of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
Deputy Governor Peter Akpe made the appeal on Tuesday, when he met with leaders and representatives of the Akenfa community at the Government House in Yenagoa.
Mr Akpe acknowledged the frustration among residents over the failure to complete the bridge, which was reportedly initiated in 2010 under an agreement involving the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the energy company.
However, he said shutting down or disrupting oil production was not an appropriate way to address the community’s concerns.
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The Deputy Governor urged the protesters to pursue dialogue and lawful means of resolving the dispute, stressing that disagreements could only be properly addressed through discussions among the parties involved.
Mr Akpe also expressed concern over the failure of a tripartite committee constituted by his predecessor, the late Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to fulfil its mandate.
He said the bridge dispute was formally brought to his attention for the first time since he assumed office, adding that his administration would work with the relevant stakeholders to revive the project and ensure its completion.
According to him, he would personally engage the leadership of the NDDC to establish the current status of the project.
He explained that the state government had handed the project over to the interventionist agency in 2025 and would seek clarification on the steps taken since then.
The Commissioner for Information, Strategy and Orientation, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, also provided details of previous efforts by the state government to resolve the matter.
She recalled that a stakeholders’ meeting was held on 4 December last year under the leadership of the late Deputy Governor Ewhrudjakpo.
Ms Koku-Obiyai said the government used the meeting to inform the Akenfa community about the transfer of the bridge project to the NDDC.
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She added that the government subsequently set up a joint steering committee to monitor efforts to restart the construction.
The committee comprises Deinyabofa Dimaro, the state NDDC representative; Mandy Akpallo, Commissioner for Special Duties, Central; Chief Dikivie Ikiogha; Kuro Nyenye, Technical Adviser to the Governor on NDDC Matters; Chief Isiya Albert; Wilson Mumeya, Secretary of Akenfa Community; Moses Izibekiebo, Youth President of Akenfa Community; and an engineer to be nominated by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.
Earlier at the meeting, the Paramount Ruler of Akenfa, HRH Godspower Thompson Obaya, and a community stakeholder, Wilson Mumeya, explained the reasons behind the protest.
They said residents had grown frustrated after the bridge remained unfinished for about 16 years, despite repeated efforts to secure its completion.
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The two community leaders thanked Mr Akpe for intervening in the dispute and expressed hope that the latest government initiative would lead to the completion of the long-delayed bridge.
