The federal government on Friday said work on the Bida-Lapai-Lambata road project in Niger would resume soon to address the road’s poor condition, save lives and property, and reduce insecurity.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Sa’idu Abdullahi, a member of the House of Representatives representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency of Niger State.
Mr Abdullahi said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, gave the assurance when a delegation of stakeholders under the aegis of the Coalition of Niger South Development Associations paid him a courtesy visit.
Mr Umahi, represented by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, said the government was committed to the project because it posed a great risk to commuters on the corridor.
He said President Bola Tinubu had directed the completion of the road repairs as part of measures to tackle insecurity in that part of the country.
The minister further said that important road projects were being undertaken in Niger through tax credits.
“The greatest beneficiary of the NNPC tax credit scheme is in Niger. So both Niger and the South-South constitute 51 per cent of the entire tax credit.
“President Tinubu doesn’t make political statements as far as roads and bridges construction and rehabilitation are concerned,” he said.
Mr Abdullahi reiterated the need for the federal government to complete the project because of its socio-economic importance.
The chairman of the Bida Forum, a pressure group, Malam Jameel Muhammad, appealed to the minister to treat the road as an emergency.
“The first we are requesting is remedial work on the black spots so that at least the road will be passable.
“All we want is that in the next two months we will begin to see something on the ground in terms of mobilisation of contractors to the site,” he said.
“We want to have a monitoring team on the ground which should include community representatives,” he said.