…to flag off work on three additional rural roads
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has commissioned the newly completed 15km Garaku-Gurku-Dari Road in Kokona Local Government Area, built at the cost of N3, 670, 311, 759. 22.
Governor Sule commissioned the road during a colourful ceremony on Thursday.
According to the Governor, contract for the construction of the road was awarded to the Tongy Group Limited in November 2022, as part of the committed of his administration to provide road infrastructure in the state, in line with the policy of opening opportunities for improved economic activities and well-being of the people.
“It is for this reason that the Government continues to construct rural roads in order to create interconnectivity among our communities with proven potential for economic development,” he said.
He pointed out that his administration acknowledged the significance of transporting agricultural produce and other economic commodities from remote markets to urban areas, which is normally hampered due to poor road network.
“This is why our administration over the last five years has taken far-reaching measures to address this situation. Part of our commitment is the construction of this road project, which is considered critical in the development of this endeavor.
“It is for this reason that the Government awarded the construction of this 15km road to the Tongy Group at a total cost of N3, 670, 311, 759. 22 in November 2022 under the supervision of the Nasarawa State Bureau for Rural Development. We are therefore gathered here today to commission this project, having been successfully completed according to laid down specifications,” the Governor said.
Governor Sule expressed satisfaction that with the commissioning of the Garaku-Gurku-Dari Road, commuters traversing the road would find ease in the movement and transportation of both goods and services.
He however reiterated the determination of his administration to deliver more rural roads because of the need for such infrastructure across the state.
“It is gratifying to state that as part of our resolve to continue to open vistas of economic activities as well as infrastructural development of the state, we have discovered that more is needed to be done in this critical area of human endeavor.
“This is why the Government is considering the construction of additional rural roads,” he stated.
The Governor listed three rural roads lined up for flagging off soon namely the Angoro-Arusu-Amba-Bassa Road, Ashige-Gidan Buba-Ugah-Fadaman Bauna. Jangwa-Ribi-Agwatashi, Azara-Ampana-Awe, amongst several others.
Governor Sule assured that these projects would soon be flagged off.
He used the opportunity of the event to appeal to the people of the area for peace as according to him, enormous amount of lithium has been discovered between Amba and Agwada.
“If only we could be patient to get the right companies that would come and develop that, not people who would come and do illegal mining and give us pittance. If we can only be patient, the amount of wealth that would be brought into this area a lot of you would wish that you had this minerals rather than even oil,” he said.
He disclosed that following the discovery of the lithium and the news of the discovery, his administration has been expending huge resources to maintain peace in the area.
“With the news that traveled because of this discovery, if the government is not spending to protect the area, even the people in this area would have run away. Because once illegal miners arrive, you will not leave in peace. They will be fighting each other, and in the process, they will fight the inhabitant,” he stated.
In a goodwill message, National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Abdulkareem Abubakar Kana, expressed gratitude to the Governor on behalf of the people of the benefiting communities.
“I don’t know how to express our gratitude to you. You have wiped our tears. You have made us proud. You have made it that we of the APC from Kokona and Nasarawa State will work with our shoulders high. That we have a Governor who is a product of our party who is performing beyond all expectations,” Prof. Kana said.
Also speaking, State Commissioner for Education, Dr. John Mamman, traced the history of the road being commissioned to the colonial era, recounting all the various efforts to construct the road by subsequent administrations but without success.
“The road that we are commissioning today was a footpath linking the native authority road in Dari. Several attempts were made by subsequent governments beginning from Keffi Native Authority and Keffi Local Government too in 1972, they wanted to construct this bridge through community development effort,” Dr. Mamman said.
On his part, member representing Kokona East Constituency at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Ogah Ogazi, who stood in for the Speaker of the assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, equally expressed appreciation to Governor Sule for wiping the tears of the people of the area.
“I want to sincerely thank you. And I am saying thank you from the depth of my heart. Because we knew what we were going through to have this road like this. We knew what our people have gone through in the years. This time around, years back, no one dared to cross to the otherside even with motorcycles,” he said.
The Abaga Toni, Mr Lawrence Sylvester Ayih, also showed appreciation to Governor Sule on behalf of the people of his domain, stressing that with the construction of the Garaku-Gurku-Dari Road, the longstanding challenge of transportation in the area has been addressed.