Mr Duke Ignorance About Bayelsa State’s Current Infrastructure Reality

The reckless statement by former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, to describe Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, as a “local champion” over their personal opinions on the feasibility of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, is unfortunate and demeaning of his societal status as a former governor and presidential candidate in the 2027 elections.

More importantly, the remark diverts attention from the substantive issues surrounding infrastructure development in Bayelsa State, and the economic importance of the coastal highway project intending to connect coastal communities in the South-South region of Nigeria, especially Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers.

Rather than addressing Gov. Diri’s argument with verifiable facts about the challenges of constructing roads in the Niger Delta, Mr Duke chose to personalize the disagreement by describing the governor as a ‘local champion.’ Such a demeaning response, question his personality and intellectual capacity to lead Nigerians as a presidential candidate in 2027.

Governor Douye Diri position, deserves serious consideration, and not personal attacks. As the leader of a state whose terrain presents some of the most demanding conditions for road construction in Nigeria, Governor Diri is well placed to speak about the practical realities of building roads across difficult landscapes.

The Governor Diri administration’s transformative experience in delivering road infrastructure in Bayelsa State, provides a relevant basis to challenge the argument that swampy terrain makes coastal road construction impracticable or unconstructable on fact-based assessment.

The central issue is not whether Nigeria should spend money on infrastructure. It is whether the country should abandon or discourage developmental projects simply because they are expensive, technically demanding or the projects located in challenging geographical environments regardless of economic benefits.

Mr Donald Duke’s argument appears to place considerable emphasis on the swampy nature of the coastal environment and the financial burden associated with the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. However, difficult terrain is an engineering challenge to be addressed through appropriate design, technology, planning and financing. It is not, by itself, sufficient evidence that a project cannot be executed.

Despite a shallow-minded argument of difficult terrain, Bayelsa state has continued to witness massive road construction and rehabilitation of roads across the three senatorial districts, by connecting rural communities and urban areas, especially under the prosperity administration of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri.

Nembe-Brass road, Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road and Sagbama-Ekeremor road, are among the major infrastructure projects associated with the state’s infrastructure developmental agenda. They illustrate the relentless efforts to improve connectivity in a state where rivers and creeks, have historically at some point in time, complicated transportation and other socio-econmic activities, but not currently.

Governor Diri’s response to Mr Donald Duke, was rooted in the development realities of Bayelsa State. His administration has pursued road connectivity as a means of addressing longstanding isolation, improving road access to rural communities to improving economic activities in various LGAs across the State.

For decades, geographical barriers have affected the movement of people and goods across parts of the Niger Delta. In several communities, waterways remain essential transportation routes, while inadequate road connectivity increases the cost of doing business, complicates access to healthcare and education, and limits opportunities for agricultural and commercial development.

A Governor who is confronted daily with the challenges of developing a riverine state has legitimate grounds to contribute to discussions about coastal infrastructure. His position should be assessed on its technical merits, the evidence he presents and the development experience available at his disposal under his prosperity administration.

Mr Duke may disagree with Diri’s assessment, and he is entitled to question the cost and feasibility of the federal project. However, disagreement does not justify diminishing the perspective of another public officeholder, particularly when that perspective is informed by personal experience with the terrain under discussion.

Calling Gov. Diri a “local champion” does not answer the governor’s argument. It merely substitutes a personal description due to lack of substantive argument with facts to back up his earlier shallow-minded argument of difficult terrain on a national television, unfortunately.

One of Mr Duke’s central arguments is that Nigeria cannot afford the coastal highway because the country is already borrowing to finance infrastructure. While public borrowing, debt sustainability and competing national priorities are legitimate concerns, they do not, on their own, establish that a particular project is economically unjustifiable and invaluable.

Major infrastructure projects are often financed through a combination of public funds, borrowing, private investment and other financing arrangements, depending on the structure of the project. The relevant questions include the total project cost, the financing terms, the expected economic returns, the risks to public finances and the government’s capacity to meet its obligations to its citizens.

If Mr Duke believes the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is too expensive, he should present a detailed assessment of its projected costs, expected benefits, financing structure and alternatives. Such an assessment would give Nigerians a more useful basis for evaluating the project than a sweeping declaration that it is simply not a feasible road project, ignorantly.

The Niger Delta is a critical part of Nigeria’s economic landscape. Its oil and gas resources have contributed significantly to national revenue and development, while its communities continue to seek better roads, improved transportation, economic growth and stronger links with the rest of the country.

Bayelsa, in particular, has faced longstanding connectivity challenges because of its riverine geography. Improving access to communities is therefore not merely a matter of political prestige; it is closely connected to economic opportunity, public services, social inclusion.

For a State Governor, advocating infrastructure that addresses these challenges, is a genuine and legitimate responsibility of any responsible leader, who truly meant well for his people.

Governor Diri’s position should consequently be understood within the context of a broader demand for infrastructure that connects communities and opens up economic opportunities across the Niger Delta, most especially the South-South region of Nigeria.

The history of infrastructure development demonstrates that challenging geographical conditions often require specialised engineering solutions. Wetlands, river crossings, unstable soils and coastal erosion present genuine difficulties, but engineers have developed methods to address many of such conditions and challenges in difficult terrains.

Governor Diri’s experience in Bayelsa state’s infrastructure development, reinforces the importance of approaching these challenges with an open-mind, focus and commitment. His administration’s road infrastructure efforts, provides relevant regional context, addressing the shallow-minded argument of difficult area.

Nigeria’s democracy benefits when public officials and former political leaders challenge government policies, question expenditure and demand accountability.Mr Duke is entitled to express reservations about the coastal highway, just as Mr Diri is entitled to challenge arguments that he considers inconsistent with the development realities of Bayelsa State.

Governor Diri’s defence of infrastructure development in Bayelsa state, should not automatically be interpreted as an inability to appreciate national concerns. Equally, Mr Duke’s claim to consider Nigeria as a whole does not, by itself, establish that his position is more comprehensive or technically sound.

National thinking requires an understanding of how local realities contribute to the national picture. The challenges faced by Bayelsa are part of Nigeria’s development challenges, and the experience gained in addressing them should be included in national infrastructure discussions.

A truly national perspective must consider the needs of individual communities, the economic interests of different regions, the country’s financial limitations and the long-term consequences of infrastructure decisions.

No region should be excluded from that conversation simply because its terrain is difficult or its infrastructure requirements are expensive regardless of economic benefits.

The disagreement between Mr Donald Duke and Governor Douye Diri should ultimately be resolved through evidence, and not personal attacks as exhibited by Mr Donald Duke, sadly.

At the same time, the existence of swampy terrain in Bayelsa and other coastal areas does not, by itself, prove that the project cannot be built. Nor does the fact that Nigeria faces financial constraints establish that every major infrastructure investment is unjustifiable.

Governor Diri’s position, merits consideration because the experience of developing roads in a riverine state is relevant to the discussion. Gov. Diri’s argument should be evaluated on its substance, just as Mr Duke’s criticism should be analyzed on basis of infrastructure evidence

Ultimately, the objective should not be to establish which politician has won a verbal exchange. It should be to determine what infrastructure Nigeria needs, what the country can responsibly afford and how its investments can deliver lasting benefits to its citizens.

Mr Donald Duke is entitled to his opinion, but describing Governor Diri as a “local champion” does not answer the questions raised by the Bayelsa Governor. It does not establish the technical impossibility of constructing roads through wetlands, neither does it replace a rigorous assessment of the coastal highway’s costs and economic benefits to its citizens.

Governor Diri’s defence of infrastructure development in Bayelsa should therefore be treated as a contribution to a national debate, not dismissed through a personal attack.

The coastal highway project should stand or fall on sound engineering, transparent financing, environmental responsibility and demonstrable public value—not on political name-calling and personal attacks, shamefully.

Preye Bagou ✍️✍️✍️
Patriotic Nigerian
Saturday 17th October, 2026