Road infrastructure is very important to the welfare and wellbeing of the people because of its multiplier effect on their standard of living and economic progress of the people .
The economic fortunes of Yagba people are dwindling daily due to the poor state of our road. Apparently the status of our road is shameful to Yagba Nation .
It is disgraceful to the personalities of great men and women of Yagba Nation who are recognized Nationally and Internationally.
It is crystal clear today that roads across Yagba nation are in terrible state, fast becoming impassable. Thanks to the duo of Hon. Steve Sunday Karimi and Hon. Leke Abejide who provided some palliative as a relief and a temporary measure making it a little motorable for road users.
After a closer look at the 2022 budget signed into law by the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, only a meagre sum of eight hundred million(800,000,000) naira was allocated to our road from Kabba to Ilorin.( ERGP12172515)
Whereas the phase 1 and 2 of the projects was awarded to CGC a Chinese company at a total sum of thirty billion(30,000,000,000) naira.
The Phase one which covers from Kabba to Ejiba was awarded in 2014, at the cost of Eight billion (8,000,000,000) naira while the phase two covering from Ilorin to Ejiba was awarded in 2016 at the cost of Twenty Two Billion (22,000,000, 000) naira.
Bearing the inflationary gaps between the dates the project was awarded and now, it is apparent that the contractor might be asking for variation.
Therefore, I am not sure the 800 million naira Provisions in the budget is enough to convince the contractor to go back to site.
Going by the way the contract is being funded, this project may not move forward in the next 20 years, which may result into a total collapse of the road.
It has therefore, become exigent that we put politics aside. We have to stop playing politics and blame games. This is because there is no single individual on humanitarian or whatever ground has the capacity to fix that road to the engineering specification required.
It must also be clear to us that, there is no way any contractor can be charged for not mobilizing to site based on the very small amount allocated, this amount may not even be enough to clear the outstanding certificate.
Its should also be noted that other road rehabilitation on going all over the country are begging for funding.
In view of the precarious situation above and the urgency that the road needed, the only option available to us according to experts is to put pressure on the Federal government for alternative funding of that road.
Since we just recently missed the NNPC funding, we are left with The SUKUK and DANGOTE.
We could immediately mobilize in whatever way our voices could be heard since we appear not disposed to demonstration to mount pressure on the Federal Government to consider Kabba -Ilorin road for funding .
Alternatively, appeal to Federal Government to concession the road to Dangote to take it up like Kabba – Obajana funding Arrangement.
These are the only windows of opportunities that are available to us to explore rather than continue to rely on budgetary allocation.
We have to take our destiny into our hands before we are cut off from the rest of the Country.
Thanks for reading.
Elder Toba Abraham