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By Itodo Daniel Sule, Lokoja
Abandoned and uncompleted projects in Kogi State, have elicited response from the residents, saying billions of naira of public fund were spent on the projects.
The administration of Governor Yahaya Bello in Kogi, inherited a number of uncompleted and abandoned projects from previous administrations in the state.
Former Governor Idris Wada handed over power to Bello on January 27, 2016 having failed in his second term bid at the polls.
Prior to the end of his four-year tenure, Wada had embarked on a number of projects with a couple of them completed and inaugurated while many others are uncompleted.
Prominent amongst some of the uncompleted projects bequeathed by the Wada’s regime include the 500 Housing Units in Ganaja area of Lokoja, Ultramodern Imaging Diagnostic Centre adjacent State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Remodeling of Kogi Hotels, Lokoja, Rehabilitation of Lokoja township road, dualization of Ganaja-Otokiti bypass and 11-storey Kogi House project in Abuja.
People of the state are now expressing concerns as to what would become the fate of these uncompleted projects which had already gulped public funds amounting to billions of naira.
Our correspondent observed that work has since grounded to a halt in most of these project sites except for ongoing work on the Lokoja township road recently resuscitated by the new governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
A visit to the 500 Housing Units project site in Ganaja area showed that the place is already overgrown with shrubs with no activity currently going on.
The project which has reached roofing stage, has however been abandoned by the contractor.
Apart from the Ganaja Housing Estate project, concerns are also being raised over the abandonment of another housing project situated along Banda road in Lokoja Local Government Area.
The project which was said to have been awarded during the tenure of former governor Ibrahim Idris has remained abandoned and in a sorry state over the years. In the same vein, work on the Ganaja-Otokiti dual carriage bypass road project has also stopped.
Concerned residents who lamented the number of abandoned projects that littered the various local government areas of the state from successive administrations, urged the present government to find a way of addressing the situation.
State Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Mr Ibrahim Itodo urged Governor Yahaya Bello to make a thorough evaluation of all abandoned projects and ascertain the level of government’s commitment to such projects and what is outstanding to the contractors.
According to him, it would amount to wasting of tax payers’ money if such uncompleted projects are abandoned without being completed and put to use by the public.
“I expect that the new government should embark on monitoring and evaluation to ascertain the level of work done, investigate who are the contractors and the amount of money paid to them and what is not paid so that those projects can be completed and inhabited.
“I’m happy that the sustenance of the Lokoja township road construction is on because it is a very central project to Kogi people. This government should work on it and make sure before their tenure expires, they should complete the project.” he said.
He advised the current government not to be in a hurry in embarking on new projects, adding that it should rather focus on completing the abandoned projects which have direct bearing on the people.
“These are the major areas we encourage this administration to focus on. We urge him to sustain the projects that were started by the past administrations before he embarks on new ones because they are all state projects and affect the people. It is not Captain Wada’s projects or Alhaji Ibrahim Idris’ projects, whatever project that is executed is for people of the state,” he said.
On his part, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflicts Resolution, Mr Idris Miliki, called on the state government to set up a commission of inquiry to ascertain the rationale behind the abandonment of such projects.
He said some of the projects abandoned by the previous administration were elephant projects used as conduit pipe to siphon public funds, adding that such projects were misplaced priorities as they had no direct bearing on the lives of the people.
Reacting, Special Adviser to Governor Bello on Infrastructure and Rural Development, Mr Enema Paul, said the new administration is committed to completing uncompleted and abandoned projects for the benefit of the people.
He said tax payers’ money had gone into those uncompleted and abandoned projects and as such, the present government would make all efforts to complete them for the overall benefit of the people.
“From what I know about my governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, continuity is his watchword and will stand to finish every project that is abandoned or uncompleted. May be they abandoned them purposely or could not finish them for one reason or the other. But I can assure you the governor is committed to the projects.
“You can see that work is ongoing on the Lokoja township roads; you see that the road from the Kasuwa Guest Inn that had been abandoned for over six months has been completely fixed now. You can smoothly pass through the road now.
“We are earnestly working on the drainages. We want to give Kogi a facelift. We will stand to account for every kobo we spend. The budget has been passed and everybody is up and doing to ensure we put smiles on faces of Kogi people,” he said.
Credit: Daily Trust
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