The Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, has assured his constituents that the abandoned Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin road project is currently receiving the attention of the Federal Government and that the contractors handling the project have been given a deadline to resume work.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) last Wednesday announced the approval of 13 contracts for the Ministry of Works, totalling about N679 billion, to facilitate road rehabilitation and new construction projects across several states. The exclusion of the Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin road from the list of newly awarded road contracts by the federal government sparked rage amongst the people of Kogi West Senatorial District, who demanded explanations from their representatives in the National Assembly.
In his reaction, however, Senator Karimi, in a statement by his media team on Sunday, said the Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin road was an ongoing contract awarded 11 years ago, and therefore should not be expected to be re-awarded, especially when the subsisting contract is considered an ongoing contract which has not been terminated.
The statement said: “Senator Sunday Karimi has toiled hard to ensure our roads get the attention required by the Federal Government since his days in the House of Representatives and we can assure you all that what seems like an impossibility will soon turn to reality. The road between Kabba and Ilorin is the most urgent in Senator Karimi’s scale of preference for government attention. As such, he has had several parleys with the current Minister of Works, His Excellency Dave Umahi, who had a stint in the 10th Senate before becoming a Minister. The President of Nigeria gave an envelope capital project sum of N2bn to each Senator in Nigeria and in a desperate move to ensure funding for the long-dilapidated road, Senator Karimi has earmarked his own capital funds for 2025 as a special intervention fund for the road. He also attracted an additional N1bn for the road. In total, your focused Senator has provided from his own capital projects sum a total of N3bn in the 2025 Appropriation Act for the section from Mopa-Isanlu-Egbe in Kogi State to Eruku end of the road in Kwara State. Also, due to his persistent parley with the Minister of Works, another N6bn has been provided in this year’s Budget for the road, giving us a total of N9bn for the Kabba-Ilorin road through the direct concerted efforts of Senator Karimi.
For fact-checking, Karimi’s media team published for verification by the public details of the 2025 Appropriation Act.
The documents published showed that the Special Intervention Funding for Mopa-Isanlu-Egbe-Eruku Road, Kogi West Senatorial District—N2 billion; and Rehabilitation of Ilorin-Omuaran-Egbe-Kabba-Obajana Road—N6 billion, were included.
The statement added: “All can be found on pages 1170, 1171, and 1155 of the Appropriation Act 2025. Anyone who has done this deserves the appreciation of his people and not hateful or ignorant criticism. Congratulations in advance to Kogi West Senatorial District as days of bad roads, economic backwardness and insecurity are fast coming to an end due to the equal opportunity representation of Senator Karimi Sunday Steve. Our principal celebrates results and not efforts. But your criticisms have compelled that we educate you: Last week, Senator Karimi met with the Hon Minister, His Excellency Dave Umahi, Distinguished Senator David Umahi. Immediately after the meeting, the minister set up a five-man committee charged with the assessment of the road sections from Abuja to Kabba, through Aiyetoro-Gbede to Mopa, Isanlu, Odo-Ere, and Egbe down to Osi in Ekiti local government in Kwara State. The committee was set up at the request of Senator Karimi, which the Hon Minister graciously granted. The Minister went further to assure Senator Karimi that outside the N9bn, more funds would be provided for the road project before the end of the 2025 financial year. The Hon Minister also reassured that the N500m shortfall in the 2024 budget will be added.”
Reportedly, the minister ordered the contractors handling the job, CGC, a Chinese company, to move to the site within the next two weeks or he would be compelled to terminate the contract and re-award it to another contractor that is ready to do the job.
However, the representative of CGC at the meeting was quoted as assuring the Minister of the readiness of the contractors to move to the site within 30 days from the day of the meeting.
“At the end of the meeting, Senator Karimi declined overtures to take group pictures of him with the Hon Minister and the committee members for the press, saying he was not interested in the effort but in the results,” the statement added.
The committee is expected to embark on a tour of the sections of the road next week.
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