By Dawud Ahmed.
Ganaja junction flyover, Lokoja,the first of its kind, is located in the heart of Lokoja, Kogi state capital, north central Nigeria.
It is one of the “legacy projects” of the immediate past Governor of kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello who handed over power to Governor,Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo on January 27,2024.
No doubt, the transport facility, inaugurated by th
e immediate past president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari ,short before handing over to Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29,2023,has enhanced the esthetic value of Lokoja environment,ease traffic at the popular junction as well as saving human lives from auto crashes that defined the junction few years ago.
With this perception held in certain quarters in the state,many motorists and other road users tend to limit their view of the facility to the enjoyment they derive plying it to their various destinations.
But discerning minds, particularly those plying the junction on a daily basis, said the facility should be seen beyond its physical structure and enjoyment it confers on to users and examine the other side of it on the social and economic dynamism of the society, not only of the state but also the country at large.
For instance, the flyover has attracted more social and economic activities of the state capital,as many travelers far and near stop at the location to buy bread,fuel, provision ,medicine, food, among other things,thus, contributing to booming the commercial activities of Lokoja.
But on a critical note, the under neath of the flyover presents a different picture of frightening dimension that gives connotation to the sour effects and stark reality of the hard times and the effects particularly on the social and economic life of the masses.
One segment of the population of the struggling masses whose presence critical minds cannot ignore are the labourers, bricklayers, carpenters, iron benders,well diggers, small scale artisans and of course, baby beggars.
Of particular interest are the baby beggers who beg for alms while their mothers look with pride for their babies sweating it out as they indulge in such abominable activity to keep their soul and their mother together.
The mothers of baby beggars say they have no option than stomach the insult of seeing their children engage in alms begging spree for them to make endsmeet due to hard times.
This segment of population and labourers,in Lokoja, have invariably turned the under neath of the flyover to an avenue to scramble for daily menia job to meet the demand of basic existence in life of penury.
The situation of this class of Nigerians become critical following the recent upsurge in the price of virtually all building materials,a development that curbs building construction work in Lokoja and its environs.
For those who are able to secure a day job, it is by the special grace of God as the price of cement and other building materials have continued to heat the roof on a daily basis.
Unskilled labourers and skilled bricklayers who are unable to secure job for the day are forced to proceed on in endless sleep under the flyover.
If eventually they fail to secure job before night sets in, they go home with empty stomach, an apt reminder of the harsh experience of the reality of the economic quagmire with tale story for the dependants.
Labour analysts describe the soaring number of skilled and unskilled workers, converging ,every day at the Ganaja flyover for daily bread as very much to be desired of a state sitting on keg of abundant mineral resources waiting to be tapped for the good of all and sundry even before the state.
Labour analysts,who believe that completion of Ajaokuta steel project will be a reality at some day, called on the federal government to expedite action on the completion of such an important project which has a lot of advantages for the social, economic,and technological growth and development of kogi state and Nigeria at large.
According to them, the scene under flyover speaks volumes over the dearth of the desired number of industry in Kogi State , adding that establishment of many industries, if given bite by the public and private sectors of the economy,would have absorbed the teaming unemployed youths roaming the streets in the state, in search of elusive white-collar jobs.
Others believe that government needs to see the development under the flyover as a challenge to go back to the drawing board and create job opportunities for the people, to effectively check crime and criminality in the state.
Government, they further urged, could embark on construction of housing estates in Lokoja and other strategic locations in the state in collaboration with stakeholders in the private sector where most of the bricklayers and others connected with building houses can be engaged in production work to reduce unemployment, create wealth and effectively check crime and criminality in the state.
In all, Ganaja junction flyover could be counted as one of the infrastructural projects that makes Kogi state thick, especially among its contemporaries, the facility is also a mirror of the hard times affecting the people of the and by extension,Nigeria.
Therefore, it is a platform for those privileged to be in leadership position,now,to learn a lesson from the history being written under the facility to boost the process of good governance for the good of all citizens, irrespective of divisive expressions.
Here is a flyover with a beautiful structure to behold and contributing effectively to ease traffic in Kogi State.
Yet, carries a salient message on the need by the leaders at all levels to give the much bite to check the phenomenal unemployment and its residual effects in the country to ensure peace, social and economic development of not Kogi state but also Nigeria in general.
Dawud Ahmed publishes The Reporters.
