When Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello was travelling from Lokoja to Agasa in Okene last week and had his vehicle stuck, and described Lokoja – Okene – Ekiti road as an eyesore, he stated the obvious.
This time, he was truthful to himself.
Though, Lokoja – Okene road is a federal road, he has the privilege of rehabilitating that road and ask for reimbursement from the Federal government, but he never did that in barely four years.
His predecessor, Captain Idris Wada carried out rehabilitation of that road which he couldn’t be refunded before leaving office and the money was paid him (Bello).
The same eyesore road from Ajaokuta – Itobe is still there with commuters spending hours instead of 15 minutes.
God did provide infrastructure to humanity except road construction. He left road construction to humans because he believes in man’s ingenuity to construct road for himself. After Yahaya Bello’s barely four years, what can we say of the condition of roads in the Kogi state? It’s lamentation!
Come to think of roads from Omala – Ankpa – Olamaboro; it’s an eyesore!
From Ajaokuta Junction to Ofakaga to Ejule – Umomi – Ugwolawo – Idah, it’s the same sad story of eyesore. From Ejule – Aloma – Otukpa is the same. From Idah to Onyedega in Ibaji has history of eyesore.
In the Central Senatorial district, it’s the same. In the Western Senatorial district from Kabba to Isanlu to Egbe it’s an eyesore. There are other eyesore roads all over the state.
One is aghast that the state Governor was just discovering that the state he governs has dilapidated roads without his attention.
Very disappointing too, was the crowd that trooped out to welcome him on his way to Okene which was celebrated by his media crew. Those crowd who are damn hungry came out in expectation that the governor who is famous for spraying wraps of Naira notes will have something sprayed on them that day.
They are aware of the embarrassing conduct of the Governor when he sprayed money in Kaduna on a visit to his godfather colleague, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and recently in Gwagwalada which were widely reported.
Whether the governor sprayed money on the crowd isn’t the issue, but the issue is the infrastructural deficit in the state occasioned by Yahaya Bello’s maladministration.
Let’s look at alternatives in a worst infrastructure deficit under Bello as it were:
(1) A community can get water from streams if there was no borehole or even fetch water from local wells.
(2) A sick person in a community can treat himself or herself with herbs fetched from the bush to get healed.
(3) At worst, dilapidated classrooms can be managed or pupils taking lessons under cashew and mango trees in most neglected villages.
(4) Save for herdsmen attacks, one can be on his farm steadily taking advantage of God given rainfall since no empowerment comes from the state in barely four years.
(5) Not even the lack of salaries of workers could stop survival of some people. Those who died as a result of subjected trauma have since been forgotten, but some still survived the hardship.
(6)) The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved 15 roads rehabilitation across the country to the tune of N182 billion last week without a single mention of Kogi State. Bello claims to be the grandson of Mr. President who also raises eight fingers in his support, but what has the state benefitted in terms of road infrastructure?
(7) Neither Bello’s government embarked on rural electrification nor commission anything close not to talk of pretending to inaugurate rural electrification projects.
Rural dwellers are already used to the condition, thence, nothing actually moves them. One can continue………, but this is not the same with road construction or rehabilitation.
So, when Bello described Lokoja – Okene road as an ‘eyesore, he was truthful to himself this time.
– Samson Atek’ojo Usman is the Director of Media and Publicity, APC Justice Forum/Buhari Support groups.
