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By Romanus Ugwu
The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, has dismissed the continued criticisms against President Bola Tinubu’s borrowing policy, insisting that the funds have been productively channeled into developmental infrastructural projects across states in the country.
Justifying the administration’s decision to raise funds for developmental projects, Onanuga said that the ongoing investments in roads and bridges are confirmations that borrowed funds are channelled into infrastructure to boost economic activities, improve connectivity and open up previously isolated communities.
He spoke during the media tour of Projects in Benue State, by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHAs) in collaboration with Presidential Media team, designed to showcase federal and state governments projects executed under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Defending the borrowing while inspecting Buruku Federal Government Bridge project, Onanuga argued that the various projects provided a practical response to the pessimistic Nigerians questioning the administration’s borrowing strategy.
“As Nigerians, we see that the government has been accused of borrowing money. But we can also see where the money is going; to develop infrastructure, link people who had been forgotten, ensure commerce flows freely and enable farmers to move their produce straight to the markets,” he defended.
Onanuga described Buruku Bridge as one of the five bridges currently under construction by the Federal Government in Benue State to significantly improve movement between Benue, Taraba and Adamawa states.
“The bridge will shorten travel time between rural communities and urban centres while creating a strategic economic corridor linking the North-Central and North-East. The pace of work has been satisfactory especially with the officials confirming that funding is not a challenge since the project is financed through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund. This project is going to be beneficial to everybody economically,” he added.
Earlier, Federal Controller of Works in Benue State, Mukaila Danlandi, told the delegation that the 854-metre dual carriage bridge which commenced in 2023 is expected to be completed by December 2027.
He further explained that all the substructures, including piles, pile caps and pillars, had been completed, while precast beams were ready for installation once the water level drops after the rainy season.
“There is no funding problem. The project is under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund. The compensation issues which initially slowed the work had been resolved following the intervention of the Benue State government,” he noted.
On his part, Benue State Deputy Governor, Dr Samuel Ode, described the bridge as a landmark intervention that would permanently end decades of dangerous crossings on the Katsina-Ala River.
While recalling that the river had claimed many lives over the years through repeated boat mishaps, he described the project as “a golden gift to the people of Benue State.”
“The bridge links Buruku, Logo, Katsina-Ala and Ukum Local Government Areas before extending into Taraba State, making it a vital transport corridor for agricultural produce.
“The project would particularly benefit Sankera, regarded as Benue’s major yam-producing belt, by providing direct access for trucks transporting yams and other food crops to markets across southern Nigeria.
“This particular bridge is a very important connecting road between the North-Central and the North-East. It is going to become a major economic hub in this sub-region,” Ode said.
The RHAs media team also inspected the High Level Underpass in Makurdi, a Benue State government project designed to decongest one of the state’s busiest traffic intersections, the Buruku Bridge across Katsina-Ala River, the Abuja-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi-9th Mile highway, the Wurukum Flyover, the High Level Underpass in Makurdi and Gboko Township.
Other projects included the N15 billion Food Basket Brewery located along the Makurdi-Gboko road, where ZEVA Premium Lager Beer and ZEVA Premium Malt are produced.
