By Olaleke ASHAFA
The Federal Government has commenced rehabilitation of roads linking Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba States to the Eastern part of the country.
This is aimed at boosting the agro business in the country, says Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Land and Housing.
The minister stated this while inspecting Otukpo roads, on Monday in Otukpo.
Fashola said that the government was ever willing to confront the nation’s problems, including food and employment.
“Our contractors involve so many people. This means many people will benefit from the project; and that is how economy works.
“From construction, we also have to eat and Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has been doing his best to ensure that we stopvimporting what we can produce.
“Everytime we import what we can produce locally, we are taking money out of this economy,” he said.
Fashola noted that Nigeria used to import about 5 million dollar worth of rice, which took money away from farmers, but President Muhammadu Buhari has returned that business back home and to farmers.
“From Benue, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Abia, among others
“All the roads we are building are connected to the farms in these states.
“From Agro to market and to industry that is what is going to happen. So, the work is on the farms and the work will also be in the factory and industry.
“You can see what Vice President is doing with economic management team; lending money to small businesses, so we are on the way. The road to prosperity has already been built.
“This Otukpo road to Enugu is a road to prosperity and the jobs we desire; and it will all happen’’, Fashola said.
Earlier, Federal Controller of Works, Benue, Mr Celestine Shausu, said that Federal Government had three projects in the zone, one of which being he rehabilitation of Otukpo road.
Shausu said:“The rehabilitation is in two phases. Phase one starts from Otukpo to Ugbokolo, which is 40-km and already substantially completed.
“The second phase is 36km from Ugbokolo to Enugu State border. “Though, we have just started work, but we have already covered 3-km fully and contractors are still working.”
According to him,also the second project is the dualisation of Otukpo township road which is in the two components as well.
The first component is the dualisation of 8-km inside Otukpo town from roundabout to the General Hospital.
“The second component is the rehabilitation from the General Hospital to Aliede. So far, the contractor has rehabilitated 7-km.
“It has not been easy for the dualisation inside the town. We need to expand the road, which means we have to pay compensation. Fortunately, the Minister has given approval.
“We are expecting the contractor to release the money to the land department to pay. So the building that obstructs our way can be moved and we can continue with our expansion,” Shausu said.
Also speaking, Mr Jeff Adoga , a resident, said that government had been promising the people, since 1999, to rehabilitate the road, but ended up not doing anything until now.
“Previous government statement had been deceiving us all the while, but last week the present government of APC came to commission our road for us.
“I hope that this time around, this road would be fully fixed. Thankfully, bulldozers have been working here for the past three days’’, Adoga said
