Spread the love
Open Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Yahaya Bello: Appeal for The Extension of The Ongoing Obajana-Kabba Road Being Constructed by AG-Dangote to Egbe, Yagba West LGA, Kogi State.
Cc:
Federal Minister of Power, Works and Housing; His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola
President Dangote Group; Alhaji Aliko Dangote
The 44-kilometre Obajana – Kabba road is an extension of the famous, dilapidated and abandoned Ilorin-Omu Aran-Kabba road. The Obajana – Kabba road which leads to Lokoja and Abuja is currently being entirely re-constructed by AG-Dangote Construction, a division of the Dangote Group; a development that is heartwarming.
The Ilorin-Omu Aran-Kabba road has been in a deplorable state for over decade now and each rainy season worsens its dilapidation. This has adversely affected economic activities, depreciated the living condition of people sojourning in the communities along the road and led to the flooding of homes; disparaging some villagers.
Commuters, motorists and residents have been given false hope and expectation over time on the rehabilitation of this road, which has further demoralised them and making them lose hope for increased standard of living via the dividends of infrastructural development. It would be recalled that the Ilorin-Omu Aran-Kabba road was once approved for execution by the Federal Executive Council in November, 2013 and flagged off in April, 2014; but construction stopped at Aiyetoro-Gbede.
N21 Billion Naira was also approved by the Federal Executive Council for the road in February, 2017 but regrettably nothing has been done. Neither has it been flagged off, no contractor has moved to site and no sign of work on the road.
Accolades to the Dangote Group for rising to the responsibility of giving a new face to the Obajana – Kabba road and the AG-Dangote Construction Company in particular for providing a durable rigid paved concrete road. It is on record that the company recently inaugurated a 26-kilometre Itori-Ibeshe concrete road project in Ogun State.
In as much as there are some other ongoing road rehabilitation, reconstruction and/or construction in other parts of the country, the government is hereby urged to remember our roads as highlighted here in.
This is an appeal to the Federal Government led by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to take advantage of the ongoing construction of the Obajana – Kabba road to look into the plight of poor Kogites and Nigerians by motivating the AG-Dangote Construction Company, negotiate for the extension of the project to Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
In the same vein, a special appeal goes to Kogi State Government led by His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello to go into intensive discussion with the Dangote Group to consider extending the construction to Egbe once and for all. Kogi State Government can engage the construction company in a mutually beneficial arrangement that will benefit both parties. This will go a long way in providing succour to the people and cutting cost of construction.
Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing; His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola should make history and put his name in the good books of the people who are facing hell due to the bad shape of the road.
The President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote should also see this as an opportunity to expand his business into the continuous developing of infrastructures in Nigeria and for Nigerians.
Patronising the AG-Dangote Construction Company for further construction of roads in Nigeria and in particular extending the ongoing construction to Egbe will be of great benefit to Nigeria for the following reasons:
1. It is an indigenous construction company
2. According to the Managing Director, AG-Dangote Construction Company, Mr. Ashif Ajuma, concrete road is superior, durable, and cheaper; it does not also have pot holes and require little maintenance like asphalt roads.
The Group Executive Director; Strategy, Portfolio Development and Capital Projects, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Devakumar Edwin once said the 44 kilometre Obajana-Kabba highway was charged by government contractors for N16 billion, but the company offered to construct it at the cost of N6.9 billion.
This is geared towards ensuring the continuous success of the government as the template is being carefully laid.
– Julius Olushola Abel, a politician aspiring to represent Mopamuro State Constituency, Kogi State House of Assembly, writes from Lokoja.
Spread the love
