The Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Saturday, kicked off the construction of N3.819 billion road network in the Central senatorial district of the state, saying the move signalled renewed infrastructural development of the state.
The road networks, which are 18. 3 kilometres long, are Agassa-Ahache-Upogoro Road, Ogaminana-Ebogogo-Eika Road and Obehira-Ihima-Obangede Road in Okene, Adavi and Okehi Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking at the event, the governor lamented the poor state of infrastructure, particularly roads across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He, however, said the ‘New Direction’ blueprint of his administration had taken note of the infrastructural decay in health, education and road projects in the state, adding that frantic efforts would be made to rehabilitate dilapidated infrastructure in the state.
Bello explained that Lokoja, the state capital, and other major towns in the state would be given facelift to the standard of 21st century cities.
He particularly expressed the readiness of his administration to complete the ongoing Lokoja township road with modern facilities to make the state capital be able to compete with others across the country.
The governor added that apart from urban roads, his administration would also rehabilitate rural roads and make them motorable to further aid economic development of the state.
According to him, since efforts were on to diversify the nation’s economy, with agriculture considered to be the alternative to oil, deliberate moves would be made to ensure that farm produces got to market through good road networks.
The governor, who also inaugurated the Danjuma Atta Eye Centre, at the General Hospital, Okene, said adequate investments would be made to improve the health of the people of the state.
Bello, who lauded the donor of the eye centre, promised that government would make adequate use of it and ensure posting of personnel for the benefit of the people.