It is no longer news that one of the
most important roads in Nigeria is the ever busy Abuja- Lokoja dualized
road network which was carefully planned to link the other parts of the
country with the federal capital territory.
However, years after this project was
awarded and commencement of work, it has been one calamity after another
with the project that is meant to bring joy and succour to a state like
Kogi State and inhabitants of the towns and villages on that route
owing to the complete neglect of some portion of the road by successive
governments.
Investigations revealed that some
sections of the road, particularly sections, 2.3, and 4 have become the
hottest spot of fatal accidents, kidnappings and various vices that have
caused untold hardships to influential and pliable Nigerians.
The latest being the kidnapping of a
customary court judge and killing of his orderly. “This is just one in
the long list of ugly incidences on the route not forgetting it was also
here that the former Labour minister, Ocholi, met his untimely death
along with his family.
The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (kwara state) also tasted the horror on this route when he was kidnapped.
Information available to us indicate
that thus trend might continue unless the contractors that are working
on this sections (2,3,4.) are mobilised back to work as soon as
possible.
The bad news however is that the hope of
a permanent relief from the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola to complete the three priority road projects in the
country, (Abuja -Lokoja, Kano -Maiduguri, Lagos -Ibadan) might be dead
on arrival as only one section of the critical Abuja -Lokoja road
project was accommodated in the budget and this has now become a source
of worry to Nigerians as people are now wondering as to why a project of
such importance which should’ve been appropriated for is not in the
budget.
People living in this area our sources
revealed are now appealing to their representatives in the National
Assembly to take the matter up immediately and ensure the contractors
are paid and negotiated with to go back to site.
We gathered that the contractors have
not been paid for years despite the fact that they have their
certificates for the jobs done.
“With the way things are it is only wise
for the minister to do the needful in order to achieve the mileage of
having found a permanent solution to one critical problem claiming the
lives of both the low and the mighty of our society’’ A source said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment