Idris Ahmed, Lokoja.
The Coterie of Ibaji Youths of Nigeria (COIYN), an umbrella organization for youths in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi state has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of works and housing Barrister Babatunde Fashola to order contractors to resume the construction of Otuocha-Ibaji-Idah road linking Kogi and Anambra states to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
The Chairman of COIYN, Mr Tony Edike, made the appeal at a Peace Summit, organised by the group at Ejule-Onu community in Ibaji on Saturday.
Edike urged the Federal Government through the Hon. Minister, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to give the community a sense of belonging in the country.
The Youth noted that Ibaji LGA, which was created since 1996, had remained without any motorable road, electricity, functional health facilities and other social amenities.
They explained that the federal government had on December 2009, awarded a contract for the construction of the Otuocha-Ibaji-Idah road at the sum of N7.2 billion to Nigercat Nigeria Limited, alleging that N2.5 billion was reportedly released as mobilization fund for the 90-kilometer road project identified as Contract No. C/6024.
The group also alleged that about 35 percent of the contract sum had been spent with nothing on ground especially within the Ibaji axis that is commensurate with the fund already released.
“We have it on good authority that the contracting firm (Nigercat) which staged a symbolic appearance on site early 2018, has since stopped work and moved its men and materials from site.
”This is after the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing had listed the road among those to be constructed and rehabilitated in 2018,” Edike said.
He therefore appealed to President Buhari, Fashola, and Kogi Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to urgently intervene on the road project.
He stressed that the rehabilitation of the road would enable the community, Kogi state, and the nation at large to benefit from the vast agricultural produce from Anambra West, Ibaji and Idah local government areas.
The construction of this road would boost economic, social and political developments within the vast agricultural communities in Anambra and Kogi states”, the Youths leader said.
The distance from Anambra to Abuja through Kogi would be reduced by three hours and thousands of jobs would be created and enhanced accessibility to avalanche of economic activities, the leader added.
”The annual devastating floods in the area would be controlled through adequate water channels that will arise from construction of medium and large sized bridges on the route among other tangible benefits”, Edike said.
