Reps committee gives Easter as completion date on Kogi roads

The House of Representatives committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has urged the contractors handling the rehabilitation of federal roads in Kogi west senatorial district to complete the roads before Easter celebration.

A member of the committee, who is also representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency,  Tajudeen Yusuf, said this on Friday during the inspection of the Okene-Kabba and Kabba-Omuo-Ekiti roads being rehabilitated by FERMA on behalf of the federal government.

The lawmaker, who expressed satisfaction over the level of work done on the roads, said there was the need to make the roads across the country motorable.

He noted that the Okene-Kabba road constructed over 35 years ago was overdue for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Yusuf said, “FERMA as an agency of federal government established by an act to make sure that we do not always wait for total collapse of our roads before we start reconstruction being a member of the committee has identified this road for rehabilitation because it is a major road that many people from the western part of the country ply to Abuja and other northern states.

“My impression is fair, there are areas and portions done perfectly well and there are areas they need to work on but they have assured me that they have about 38, 000 square meter of asphalt overlay to do and they have just done only 8,000 so by the time they finish the road will be in good shape.

On the Kabba-Omuo road, he said, ” the quality of road is good but the pace is what I have issued with, Kabba and Ijumu are headquarters of local government areas in the west and Kabba is also the headquarters of Kogi west senatorial district, we are having Easter in few days time I will be glad if these roads can be ready so that those coming home for the festivities will have smooth journeys.”

He however expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of work on the Kabba-Obajana road being constructed by the Dangote group of company, saying the management of the company was playing economic politics with the lives of the people of the area.

The legislator said he had complained publicly and privately about the very slow pace of work on the road with no improvement from the company.

He however urged the company to adjust so as not to force the people to react negatively.