Nasarawa State Governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule and his predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-makura.
Collins Agwam – Lafia
When Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura awarded contract for the construction of Lafia-Kwandere-Keffi road in 2017, it was all joy for the people of Nasarawa state. But, the joy has given way to despair because the project has been suspended by the Governor Abdullahi Sule led administration.
Contractors handling the project had demobilized from site more than a year ago with all their equipment.
The completion of the Lafia-Kwandere-Keffi road would have shortened the usual six hours journey from Lafia to Abuja by four hours. The 65km Lafia-Kwandere-Keffi is short route to Abuja.
The people of Nasarawa state have criticised the Governor Abdullahi Sule led administration for abandoning this ‘very important road’. Some of the critics have made different political conjectures as reasons the Sule’s administration has not given attention to the project.
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It is said that the Sule has refused to pay attention to the project because the 65km road passes through Kwandere,the native hometown of the former governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-makura and crisscrosses Nasarawa South senatorial district which the former governor now represents in the senate.
The Lafia-Kwandere-Keffi road project was awarded in the sum of N2.5 billion to Triacta Nigeria Limited by the Al-makura led administration.
A section of the Lafia-Kwandere-Keffi road.
Residents of Kwandere, Lafia local government area said the project started in the year 2017 and work was ongoing until the former Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-makura left office in 2019.
The residents called on Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule to complete the road.
A youth from Kwandere community, Yusuf Ibrahim, told our correspondent who went on a fact finding mission to unravel the reason for the abandonment of the road by the Nasarawa state government said that the road when completed will enhance development in the community and the state at large.
He appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule to complete the road so as to boost the economic fortunes of the state.
“The Governor should please help us complete this road because if it is completed, the journey to Abuja will be shorter and we can easily access the Federal Capital Territory from here and I am confident that it will boost the economic fortunes of the state”, he said.
When asked to know why the road project was abandoned by the State Government, one of the project Engineers who pleaded anonymity, said that he does not know exactly why the Governor suspended the project, but added that, ‘he (Governor Sule) always say that he has intentions to complete the road’.
Another section of the road showing a signage containing information on the contract.
He explained that the contractors have been demobilized from site because the Governor does not want them to continue with the project for now.
“The Governor has always said he has intention to complete the road. Presently all contractors have left site with their machineries and it indicates that the work is suspended for now.”
“The road is supposed to link Keffi and it is a 65km road. As we speak now, it is 60 percent completed. Three bridges have been completed and other bridges were ongoing. We were at Mada river when the contractors were demobilized”.
“Half of the job has been done. The road if completed, from Lafia to Abuja will take less than 1 hour. The road is very important to the people of Nasarawa state. Constructing the road will reduce accident because the journey to Abuja will be short and the road is straight, there are no bends. From here to where we stopped our work at Mada river, we have only one bend that you may not even notice so the road is very important to the people of Nasarawa state”, he said
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Works in the state, Hon. Philip Dada, has said that rumors making the rounds that the road project has been abandoned is not true.
He explained that the road was conceived as auxiliary project in the overall concept of the Lafia Airport project, noting that it was to enable motorists traveling from Lafia to Keffi to have the distance cut by a reasonable hour to enable them get to the airport quickly.
Dada said that the priority of the Government is to see how the Airport project can first be completed before continuing with the Lafia-Kwandere- Keffi road.
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In mid-September, the Commissioner said, ‘last week, I and the contractors handling that project were in a meeting with His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule to see how we can revitalize the funding of the project. The State Government had made some budgetary provisions for it but the advent of COVID-19 seriously hit the economy of this state like all other states in the country.”
“Because of that, the budget of the State Government was cut down drastically by 60 percent and that has affected every sector of our projects and programs of the year. The Kwandere-Keffi road is an ongoing project and we working towards activating work there very soon.
A second of the Lafia-Kwandere-Keffi road at laterite level, fully compacted.
“Contractors have not been able to commence work since the emergence of this government because of some outstanding certificates which have not been paid but I want to assure you and everybody in the state that this project is alive. It’s in the focal map of the state to execute and we are doing everything possible to get it done as soon as possible”, he said.
He appealed to residents to remain calm as government is determined to complete all ongoing projects in the state while thanking them for their supports and prayers thus far for a successful tenure of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
However, some concerned citizens of Nasarawa state have argued that prioritising the airport project when there is no major road to it will deny the airport of the value and traffic it should get on completion.
They submitted that the airport and the Lafia-Kwandere-Keffi road are complementary projects deserving equal attention.
