By Our Correspondent in Lokoja.
The remainings section of the road awaiting rehabilitation.
Some residents of Ganaja, a suburb of Lokoja, Kogi State capital, have commended the Governor of the State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for flagging off the rehabilitation of Itakpe junction to Kabba junction up to Total road of the Lokoja-Okene Highway.
The rehabilitated section from Gadumo to Ganaja jubction.
The residents gave the commendation in a separate interview with the correspondent of The Reporters at Ganaja on Saturday.
They, however, renewed their appeal to the governor to extend the same magnanimity, shown to the residents of the Itakpe road to them by ordering the completion of rehabilitation of the remaining part of the Ganaja road.
The Reporters recalls that the immediate administration of Muhammadu Buhari decided to rehabilitate the seven-kilometer Ganaja road in November 2021 to ensure easy traffic for passengers transiting the road to other parts of the country.
Our investigation revealed that the rehabilitation work was given to different contractors.
The online publication gather that While the contractors that handled the Ganaja junction of the road completed their work, their counterparts that handled, 500 units, Commissioners’ quarters, down to Ganaja village are yet to complete their job, as at the time of this report, about two years after the rehabilitation commenced.
Mal. Shuaibu Hassan, a resident of the area, in his remarks, described the condition of the remaining part of the Ganaja road “as an eye saw and a serious impediment to human and vehicle movement.”
” We have been passing through serious challenges plying this small section of this road, particularly during the rainy season with tears for almost two years and the suffering continues til today.
“Even those of us passing through the section of the road with our legs, the pain is fast becoming unbearable.
“Ours is a passionate appeal to our amiable governor to help us complete the rehabilitation of this road before we are completely cut off from the rest of the world.
“When rain falls, it further deepens the potholes that dotted the section of the road, thus making it difficult for vehicles to ply, amid inconveniences such challenge poses to drivers and passengers.
Kekenapep, commercial motorcycle riders, drivers, and other road users,who spoke with our correspondent also expressed concern over the non-completion of the road with an appeal to the Governor to complete it.
” Just like the step he took in the case of the Itakpe-Kabba junction road, we appeal for such to be replicated on Ganaja road.
“This will ease our difficulty in plying this road and reduce the cost of repairing our vehicle showing accelerated wearing and tearing as a result of the deplorable condition of this section of the road, almost daily,” Ali Audu, another commercial driver, urged the governor.
Our correspondent who visited the road between 10 a.m and 11: 50 a.m on Saturday, reports that drivers were seen either turning back their vehicle to Lokoja or sweating it out to avoid potholes due to the slow movement of vehicles and go slow,consequent upon the condition of the road.
The Ganaja road is a very strategic facility to the transportation sector of kogi state and the country at large, serving as a link between the state and the eastern part of Nigeria in terms of transportation of goods,services and passengers.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
