By Correspondent in Lokoja
The pain being experienced by motorists and residents of Ganaja/Gadumo communities along Ganaja road in kogi state notwithstanding,reconstruction work on the road has been abandoned.
The Kogi State Commissioner Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Ohere, disclosed when he spoke with Journalists on Wednesday when he visited the road in Lokoja on the sideline of inspecting the ongoing Ganaja flyover bridge in the state capital.
He,therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to order the Contractors handling Ganaja Junction to Ganaja Village to return to site.
The Commissioner expressed dismay that the abandonmen had worsened the condition of the road, compared to its former state of existence.
Engr. Ohere, who disclosed that abandoning the road was not in the best interest of the state, urged the federal government to intervene and push the contractors to complete the job on time.
The Commissioner said:”If you do stone base, the maximum it can last is 21 days, but if you leave it for three months, like the case of the Ganaja road and you are not working on it, it becomes very retrogressive.”
The Reporters,an online news medium, reports that Ganaja road is a major facility that links the state to the eastern part of the country as well as the north.
The reconstruction on the 17-kilometre road from Ganaja junction, through Gadumo to Ganaja village, started November 2020 with the hope that the work would be completed within three months.
Motorists and other road users plying the road described the condition of the road as much more terrible and worse than what it was before the abandoned reconstruction work.
Ohere, however,who expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work on the Ganaja flyover bridge, saying that “Kogi has been turned into a huge construction site, courtesy of Gov. Yahaya Bello.”.
He assured the people that the Ganaja flyover bridge would be delivered in December 2021.
The Commissioner also expressed optimism that having achieved the level of work thus far, “it is possible to deliver the Ganaja flyover bridge by the planned date.”
The Commissioner disclosed that the bulk of the state’s resources were being chanalled into infrastructure development inspite paucity of funds, adding that the aim of the Yahaya Bello-led government was to turn the State into a big construction site for the benefit of the people.
The Commissioner,who disclosed that so far, 43 piles had been dugged in the construction of the flyover, said the construction company “is taking its time to ensure that the solid foundation that would stand the test of time is laid for the bridge.”
He disclosed that from next week, the work would move to the next stage of capping, casing, mounting of hangers, bitumen,and expressed delight that the drain work and platforms for the street lighting were also ongoing.
He commended motorists for their patience and understanding with the construction company and the government, assuring them that when completed, the job would be for the betterment of the people.
