By Dada Ahmed
Lokoja-Ganaja road is one transport facility in Kogi State in north central Nigeria that used to bring a lot of joy to motorists and other road users few years back.This is in view of the jolly ride they enjoyed plying on it to many parts of Nigeria.
However,as year goes by, motorists realise with great concern that the relevance of the road has waned due to its deplorable condition, a development described by many who ply the road as the fear which is the beginning of their wisdom.
The road was designed to serve as a strategic federal government facility that links Lokoja Local Governnent Area of kogi state to Ajaokuta Local Governnent Area of the same state.
The completed portion of the road from Baptist High School to Aniebo Housing Estate.
It is a 7-kilometre road that stretches from the popular Ganaja junction to Ganaja village,the boundary between Ajaokuta,the seat of Ajaokuta Steel Project and Lokoja,the capital of kogi state and crosses to the River Niger to Shintaku in Bass Local Governnent Area of the state.
However, investigation showed that the Ganaja village axis of the road to the eastern flank of the state was constructed by the administration of Prince Abubakar Audu,the first democratically elected Governor of Kogi State, over 30 years ago.
The administration then hoped the Lokaja-Ganaja-Ajaokuta road that would ease transportation from Lokoja to the nine local government areas of the state located in the eastern flank to and fro.
However, the scope of this piece is on Lokoja- Ganaja road.
Experience has shown that in spite of the social and economic importance attached to this road,its Lokoja-Ganaja has given way to deplorable condition almost beyond proportion.
The reason is not far fetched as it passes through Ganaja village,a human settlement with heavy population and the corresponding busy transportation economy which exerts much pressure on the road on daily basis.
Therefore,Lokoja-Ganaja road is such a crucial facility that accomidates heavy human and vehicular movement, linking Lokoja with states in South- South,South-East and Northern states, thus playing very important role in the Nigerian economy.
For residents of Ganaja village, any effort to put the road on good condition would not a misplaced priority but in consonance with the philosophy of extending dividends of democracy to the people, especially in transportation sector of the nation’s economy.
The clarion call by the public prompted the commencement of an emergency repair of the axis by the federal government in November 2021.
The hope of the federal governnent and stakeholders in transport sector has been that the emergency work would be completed within the short time, so that they could resume pleasurable journey on the road.
The portion from Aniebo Housing Estate begging for completion.
However, contrary to people’s expectation, the work is far from being completed, almost two years after the rehabilitation began.
Though substantial percentage of the emergency has been completed, one of the contractors handling the section close to village has abandoned the job, leaving motorists with mirage as to when the work would be completed.
In fact, the said contractor has moved his earth-moving equipment from the road, leaving tongue to wag.
The question on the lip of most residents of Ganaja village and motorists now is how to unravel the circumstances surrounding the sudden stoppage of work on the Lokoja-Ganaja road.
The Federal Controller of Works in kogi state,Engr.Jimoh Kajogbola gave a clue to cause of the problem.
He stated that Lokoja-Ganaja road is a federal government facility but that it was dualised by the Kogi State Governnent some years ago.
He was quick to add that “when the structure of a federal road is changed by the state government, the state in question is supposed to be maintainin it.
“But when the attention is needed, we, (federal government), as much as possible can award what we call emergency work for the repair on such road to ease transaction.
“We have done about six of that in the state before,including the small round in Ganaja village.
“The only point where we have problem now( within the vicinity of Ganaja village), was first awarded to a contractor who did not perform to expectation.
“He was reported to the headquarters of the ministry and the contract was terminated and re- awarded to another contractor”,he explained.
According to him, the same emergency contract was then re-awarded to another contractor who repeated the history of poor performance of his predecessor, adding the last contractor only attain 38.56 percentage of the work.
The Federal Controller added that the contractor, whose name he declined to disclose the, was invited to the headquarters to explain the reason for his poor performance with the intention to terminate the contract.
Engr. Kajogbola,who said that rather than using quality materials for the job, the contractor was doing otherwise, disclosed that he resorted to begging, promising to resume work as soon as rain subsides.
He was, however, emphatic that none of the contractors were given mobilisation, adding that the policy of the Ministry of Works and Housing is that when an emergency work is awarded, contractors get paid upon the satisfactory completion of the job.
According to him, the contractor cited cheating and disappointed by another contractor he sub let the contract to as the major cause of the stoppage on the job.
The Federal Controller, however, expressed concern that if the contract is terminated for the second time,re-awarding it would take some time to materialise.
Baring his mind on the issue in an interview with the author of this piece,the contractor, confirmed that he is the contract was awarded to him.
Though he declined mentioning his name beyond the fact that that he is the Chief Executive Officer of the company that handled the section of the road in question,he blamed the subcontractor he entrusted to for misusing the 85 percentage mobilisation found he gave him to start the job
The Chief Executive Officer of the company said that due to his ill-health, he entrusted the work to a subcontractor and paid him up to 85 per cent mobilisation but regretted that the subcontractor, though did some jobs, absconded with the money, leaving him in total embarrassment.
“Because of my health, I don’t go to site. As we speak, I have paid the subcontractor upto 85 per cent of the money for the job, but unfortunately, he misused my money. He said he invested the money in wrong hands where he could not recoup his money,” he said.
According to the main contractor, his own section of the work was done almost to the level of completion; putting asphalt, stone base, literite among other efforts, adding, however that the most undoing of the subscontractor, is that he did not protect the work to make it withstand the pressure mounted by vehicles plying the road.
The unidentified CEO,,who disclosed that the worth of the contract was about N300 million, expressed concern that he would loose upto N200 million, if the ministry eventually terminates the contract.
He, however, promised to return to site as soon as rain subsides at the end of September or October to start all over and complete the
job.
Meanwhile,as the completion of the portion of road hangs in the balance, residents of Ganaja village said they risk being cut off from the rest of the state or the country at large due to continued deteriorating deplorable condition of the portion of the road in question.
According to commuters, a journey from Ganaja junction to Ganaja village, which is supposed to take them less than 15 minutes now goes for about 30 minutes or more to accomplish.
Motorists say reports they only enjoy pleasurable ride from Baptist High School from axis to the Gate of Aniebo Estate.
From the estate, drivers and passengers are welcome to potholes, serious galloping and traffic other traffic inconveniences posing great challenges to health of drivers and othee users of the road.
The recent rainfall that lasted for 24-hour in Lokoja proved to be an ugly trend to many drivers and others who plied the portion of the road while the rain lasted, resulting in go slow that held travellers many hours stand still.
Most of the drivers who said they were held in gridlock for upto 5 hours, described their experience as “hellish”that they would not forgot in a hurry.
An Enugu-Abuja bound commercial driver, Micheal Nwanko, caught up in the gridlock expressed concern over the deplorable condition of the road and its negative impact on his vehicle.
“Each time I get to Ganaja village portion of Lokoja-Ajaokuta road, I become sad.The reason being that, I know for sure that immediately I disembark my passengers,on getting to Abuja,the next place to visit is mechanic workshop due to accelerated wear and tear on my vehicle plying that short portion of the road.
“The road, especially between Ganaja village and Aniebo Housing Estate is in a very bad state of existence.
” I wonder why the delay in completing the rehabilitation of this very strategic road.Whatever may be holding the completion of the job, every effort should be done to complete for sake of travellers.
“Substantial percentage of my proceeds go for the repair of my vehicle, almost on a weekly basis with little or nothing left to show for the work I am doing in terms of profit.
“If this ugly trend continues, I will stop plying this road in preference for other fairly good roads in other states,” he told our correspondent.
Nwoko is not the only one feeling bad about the pitiable condition of the portion as residents of Ganaja village have a catalogue of ill-feeling too about the portion.
A community leader in Ganaja village, Alhaji Abubakar Isa Mohammed,noted with concern the delay in completing the rehabilitation of the road.
The community leader,who traced the history of the road to 1991,however, identified flood as the major contributor accelerating the deplorable condition of the road.
“It is not funny with the kind of experience we go through as far as this road is concerned.
“We cannot convey the sick ones to Lokoja for better medication because of the bad nature of this road.
“If nothing is done to complete the rehabilitation of the road, coupled and the rains set in,the road will be completely impassable by September or end of October.
“The bad condition of the road has restricted the movement goods and persons,because not many vehicles can withstand the rigour of plying this road anymore.
“Lokoja-Ganaja road leads to Ajaokuta Steel Project, a project we hope and pray will come to fruition one day. So the need to make it motorable cannot be over emphasised.
“This is necessary so that Ganaja village will not be cut off from the rest of Nigeria,” he stressed.
According to him, the road is prone to flood which usually washes away the portion during rainy season due its proximity to t the bank of River Niger.
But the Federal Controller says all hope is not lost for the completion of the road.
According to him, the federal government has awarded contract toTec,the company handling the Flying over bridge at the Ganaja junction, Lokoja, for the repair of
Lokoja-Shintaku-Dekina-Anyigba road.
He said though he was yet to be in the know of the scope of work in the contract but assured that if it the work starts from Ganaja junction enroute Ganaja village, then, Lokoja-Ganaja road would benefit from the contract.
He expressed the hope that all things being equal, the cry of the people of the village for the repair of the section that leds to their village would be taken care of for good.
From all indicate, it can be deduced from all facts available that, the intention behind the rehabilitation of Lokoja-Ganaja is loudable and the federal government must be commended for the award of the emergency work to alleviate the suffering of travellers on Lokoja-Ganaja road.
However, the fear among stakeholders in transportation sector is that, human factor may jeopardise the loudable idea behind the good intention of governnent to wipe the tears of motorists and other users of the road.
They stressed the need for urgent steps to be taken by all parties involved in the emergency work to return the road to its former pleasing form and restore smile to motorists plying the road with long faces, waiting for the day their prayer with the answered and rehabilitation of the road will be a reality.
Dada Ahmed is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors,NGE,and a publisher.
