By Correspondent in Lokoja
Motorists plying Ganaja/Gadumo road, Kogi state, being reconstructed, have sent “Save Our Vehicle”, (SOV) message to the Federal government and the contractors handling the reconstruction of the popular road, to hasten work for timely completion.
Their passionate appeal, they said, became imperative in view of the slow nature of work on the road and the resurgent ubiquitous potholes on the road as the rain sets in in the area.
Many of motorists,passengers as well as pedestrians, who spoke with the Correspondent of The Reporters on Sunday at Gadumo, described the condition of the road, especially from 200 unit junction to Tobi electronic company, Gadumo, as terrible.
According to them, the former condition of the road is better, compared to its current physical condition.
Malam Fatai Aminu, an Ankpa-Lokoja bound commercial driver, told the online news medium that ” each time I ply the road, especially between the 200 unit junction and Gadumo axis of the road, said to be under construction,a significant part of my vehicle gets damaged.
” Though the constructor laid asphalt on the two lains of the axis, the slow nature of work made the rain to remove the asphalt, accompanied with potholes as well as the usual dust.
” This development, to say the least, does not augur well for our health and the physical condition of our vehicles as we ply the road on daily basis to eke living.
A resident of Gadumo, Mrs Agnes Alabi, wondered why a 17-kilometre road, whose construction started November 2020, had not seen the light of the day.
“I expect that by now residents of Ganaja/Gadumo and others using the road would have been jubilating for having a motorable, road at last, but here we are still bemoaning over poor road, not knowing when the reconstruction will be completed.”
Our Correspondent reports on Sunday that there has not been any rehabilitation work on the 200 unit/Gadumo axis of the road for about one month now or so.
Other residents,who spoke their minds on the issue, in separate interview with our correspondent, described the seeming abandonment of work on the axis as a bad omen and called on the appropriate authorities connected with the work to due the needful.
“If care is not taken, the people of this place will be cut off from the rest of Lokoja and beyond the state capital, given the emerging dilapidated nature of the road said to be under construction,”a commutter,who would prefer to remain anonymous told The Reporters.
However, appreciate work on the road is noted as from 500 unit up to Ganaja village with the laying of asphalt but no construction work on the road when our Correspondent plied the road at about 4p.m on Sunday.
The people also called on the government to repair the major bridge close to the 200 unit junction of the road.
According to the people, the facility is gradually going bad with telling effect on the tyres of vehicles among other challenges facing drivers on the facility.
The road is strategic to the social and economic development of Kogi state as it links the state not only to its eastern part,but also to the north, south and east regions of the country.
