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- Says all bottlenecks have been resolved
From John Adams, Minna
There is a sigh of relief as work in the abandoned 83 kilometers Minna-Bida road in Niger State will commence soon as all the bottlenecks surrounding the contract have been resolved.
State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago gave the hints when he met with officials of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the co-financiers of the Road project at it Office, in Abuja.
The governor was quoted in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Ibrahim Bologi as saying that his administration has resolved all the setbacks on the Minna-Bida road project which was abandoned by the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello.
The contract for the 83 kilometers road was awarded in April 2020 at the cost of N24.3billion to messer Dantata and Sowoe.
About N15 billion was said to have been paid with only five of the work has been achieved before it was abandoned.
But Governor Umaru Bago while meeting with officials of the Islamic Development Bank in Abuja, said an approval of N3.5b has been given for the payment of compensation to those affected by the roads project.
He disclosed that a committee has already been constituted for the payment of the compensation to the those affected
He appealed to the Islamic Development Bank to fast-track the ongoing processes to enable another ground breaking ceremony of the project in November this year.
The governor admitted that upgrading of roads across the state will significantly address infrastructural deficit, pointing out that the state government has identified 28 roads spanning a collective distance of 803km that will be reconstructed.
While seeking for more collaboration with the development partner in the area of agriculture to ensure food security, the governor appreciated the Islamic Development Bank for its cooperation and willingness to support the state.
The Country Operations Manager, Regional Hub of Abuja, Mamadou Alpha Bah, identified motivation as a key factor that will play out in achieving the set objectives and assured that the Islamic Development Bank will continue to partner with the state government in other key areas of development.
He appreciated the state government’s commitment to meeting the needs of its citizens.
The Operations Lead Manager for the Minna-Bida road project, Alagi Basiru Gaye, assured the people of the state that the project will be completed at the stipulated time without compromising quality.
