... Engr. Ohere Says it's fulfillment of Gov. Bello's campaign Promises to the people
By Abu Micheal.
Life is changing for the better in Kogi State with the road rehabilitation program of Gov Yahaya Bello, in Lokoja enters a new phase. The government is rehabilitating urban as well as opening up rural areas through the construction of feeder and major roads to link communities and major towns in the State.
The residents of the Capital are happy at this development; so also is Engr. Abubakar Ohere, the State Commissioner for Works and Housing, who while inspecting the ongoing construction of the Lokoja township roads recently, said it was in fulfillment of the campaign Promises of Gov. Yahaya Bello to the people.
For Governor Yahaya Bello, his idea of providing roads linking villages, local Government and other major towns in the State is basically to open up the State to economic opportunities.
The Governor’s road development policy is a deliberate and strategic one because good road network is an important complement to improved transport system. It is also indispensable for the transportation of goods and services from the rural settlements to the major markets centers and to also enhance social interaction between the citizens and people from other parts of the Country.
For Gov. Bello, the practical reality of constructing new roads only calls for the rehabilitation of old ones. Little wonder, the repositioning of the Kogi State Road Maintenance Agency.
This has equally added value to the Governor’s determination to ensure that all State roads are pothole free and motor able all year round.
From the beginning of his second term administration, the present administration has not hidden its desire in providing quality roads across the State.
With the purchase of additional equipments for the Kogi State Road Maintenance Agency, everyone knew that the Governor was only matching words with action in his road revolution programme.
The rehabilitation of the Lokoja township roads, Engr. Ohere disclosed will not only open up the State capital, Lokoja the capital he noted is landlocked, coupled with the devastation caused by not rehabilitating the roads over the years by past administration, the State capital needed to be opened up.
Presently, the roads from Nataco Junction, all through the traditional areas, through the township, will certainly open up the town to more opportunities and development.
Also the determination to place emphasis on roads in the city capital according to Engr. Ohere, which is also replicated in roads in the three Senatorial Districts in reconstruction and rehabilitation, was due to depreciation, dilapidation and natural wastages. He said as a responsible government, Gov. Bello considered it most appropriate to not only place emphasis on rehabilitation and reconstruction of new ones despite the State’s lean financial resources.
Furthermore, the road rehabilitation of Kabba, Ankpa, Idah, Okene amongst other township roads that are already on-going according to Engr. Ohere is to ease the stress being faced by the people. It is important to state that the present administration in the State is widening the drainages along all the township roads among others in the State.
The massive Ganaja Flyover Bridge project, a mother of all project, thirty years after the creation of the State is a beauty to behold. Several administration had shied away from the Flyover owing to the huge capital outlay. Today, Gov. Bello has conquered the fear of past administration as today the Ganaja Flyover Bridge is already a success story.
The Governor's intervention in Ganaja Junction to Ganaja Village road a Federal road that saw contractors almost abandoning the project, needs commendation, has brought relieve to motorists, remains indelible in the hearts of the people.
For those who may not know, the construction company working on the abandoned embarkment project in Kabba, CEEZALI Construction Company has been ordered to move its equipment to site to begin work on the abandoned Wada bye pass, a project which when completed, would ease traffic from the township to burst out in the Secretariat Junction. Importantly, the Governor has directed for a review of the road construction plan to enable it stand the test of time as against the earlier plan.
Still in the subsector, the state government is fixing all the roads in the Capital City with street lights, while it is beautifying the road madian, a deliberate action that has improved the aesthetic beauty of the roads befitting of a State Capital.
The roads under rehabilitation in the State Capital Includes: NTA-Kogi cycle road, NTA-Post Office-Ministry of Works road, Cemetery-Hydro junction road, Wallace – Maigeri – Old Central Mosque road and Stella Obasanjo – Government House road.
According to Engr. Ohere during one of his routine inspection of projects in the State Capital, assurred that the contractors handling the road projects in the State must justify Governments huge investment.
The untireless efforts of Engr Ohere in constantly sleeping on project sites, not minding weekends, public holidays, has earned him the appellation of a man working tirelessly for the man Nigerians are waiting to the nation's next President come 2023.
The State government under Gov. Bello is no doubt spending its little money wisely and so in the words of the Commissioner, will not accept shoddy jobs, rather it must get value for money on all its on-going projects.
Looking also at the spread of the on-going road projects by Gov. Bello, the roads are no doubt evenly spread, which goes to confirm that the State is the Governor’s entire constituency.
It is expected that on completion of the road construction, the Local Government areas and the State in general will experience a boost in its economic activities as well as an improved face lift.
While it is a known fact that the present administration in the State has given road construction a boost, the appeal to people of the area where this constructions are on-going is for their people to give maximum co-operation to the contractors to facilitate a hitch free execution of the project.
After all, provision of infrastructure like road has remained cardinal to good governance. This will, perhaps explain why governments all over the world and at all levels, places it on their topmost agenda.
Infrastructure like; Roads, remain key issues of development. Apart from being evidences of development, they also enhance both economic and social lives of the people.
A hitherto unknown settlement can be advertised by a mere link through a good road. Little wonder, many communities in Nigeria will stop at nothing to have government come to their aid by fixing their roads as it will instantly open such communities to opportunities and enhance their socio -economic status.
Guided by this and other vision to build a greater Kogi State, Gov. Bello’s administration has no doubt shown the sincerity of purpose, in affecting the lives of the citizens through improved infrastructures. This is particularly noticed with the completion and ongoing rehabilitation of the several road projects across the state through the revitalization of the State Road Maintenance Agency and the use of reputable contracting firms.
Without mincing words, Gov. Bello has daily made his transformation vision in the transport sector a watershed, equally proving that he is a promise keeper, having promised to make his second term more rewarding than the first.
As it is presently according to Engr. Ohere, indeed this is changing times in Kogi State with the unusual manifestation of Gov. Bello in providing quality, durable and motorable roads for the people of Kogi State. This he clearly explained, makes Gov. Bello, best fit for Nigeria come 2023.
By Abu Micheal, is a Social Development Worker, Publisher, Writer and Public Affairs Commentator, Lives in Lokoja.
