Stephen Ukandu,with Agency Report
After years of public outcry following avoidable auto crashes resulting into carnages, the Federal Government has commenced the dualisation of the 9th Mile Enugu-Makurdi highway.
This is as the Federal Government has also released funds for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge bypass, the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Lafia bypass.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this on Thursday in Makurdi, Benue State, during the inspection of the Lafia bypass road and dualisation of the 9th Mile, Enugu-Otukpo-Makurdi Road Project.
Umahi who had earlier inspected the Mararaba-Keffi Road, expressed joy that Tinubu had released funds for the completion of the projects.
“This one is 260 kilometres and it is 229 kilometres completed. Some sections are not good and I have directed them to go back and work on the first five kilometres, but the rest is beautiful.
“I want to thank Mr President, who about three days ago approved that work should immediately commence in many sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road.
“We were having some problems with funding but the President has solved the problem and directed for immediate release of funds so that the road construction will continue.
“The same thing with the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Second Niger Bridge two bypasses,” Umahi said.
Umahi, however, said he would have preferred for the roads to be done with cement concrete.
He commended the Benue and Enugu state governors for their efforts in ensuring that contractors worked seamlessly on the routes by providing a security task force for their protection.
“The flyover you are requesting, we are going to incorporate it. If you are building a road and the people are being inconvenienced or we finished it and it does not solve the problems, we have done nothing.
“So, that flyover is very critical and it is very good that we are here. We have to do that because of the passion for your people and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President.
“From the beginning of the road to here, it must be done in concrete. So, anywhere we have bad terrain we will scope it for concrete.
“We will put the middle of the divide of the two carriageways in the middle of the existing route.
“So, we will minimise a lot of compensation. I would like to thank you and the Enugu State Governor for setting up a task force to assist them in terms of security and other things,’’ he said.
He said the project had been financed by China Exim Bank, so the money was available and the project was in dollars.
Reacting, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, who joined the minister on the inspection, said he was grateful to Tinubu for making the dream of the people of Benue come true.
“We are very grateful to God for giving us this opportunity. We have always prayed for a new Benue of our dream where anything we touch gets a magnet efficiency, effectiveness and done.
“We are pleased that you are beginning the second phase of the Abuja-Keffi-Lafia 9th Mile Road. We are very excited that you have already incorporated the prayers we presented to you.
“We thank Mr President for his thoughtfulness and good heart for the common masses. He is someone who does not want to see people suffer.
“Formerly a journey from Abuja to Makurdi is four and half hours but with this new road, it will take us three hours.
“It is going to help our business and help us to plan ahead on plying on the route,” the governor said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 260-kilometres project cuts across the Federal Capital Territory to Nasarawa, Benue and Enugu states.
