From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Nasarawa State government has commenced the upgrade of a 48.7 km road worth 4 billion naira in Toto Local Government Area of the state.
This was revealed during a good governance media tour embarked upon by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nasarawa State Council to assess the projects executed by Governor Abdullahi Sule since 2019.
Speaking to journalists in Ugya, Toto LGA, the contractor handling the project and General Manager, ELA Engineering and Construction Nig. Ltd, Yusuf Isiaka said the upgrade of the road began a month ago and will be completed in the next 11 months.
According to him, the project was an upgrade of a 48.7 km road network to asphalt, beginning from Toto Junction to Umaisha with an estimated cost of 4 billion naira.
“We started this work a month ago and we are hopeful that by the next 11 months, the project will be completed,” he said.
He, therefore, assured that the project will be completed according to the terms and conditions of the contract.
Also speaking, the Councilor representing Ugya Ward, Mohammed Umar said the contractor was already on ground and work has commenced in earnest.
Umar expressed optimism that the project, when completed, will add value to the people of the community and state at large.
“We are very happy to see that the state government has awarded this contract for the upgrade of our road and we are very happy for what the government has done,” he said.
On his part, the Chief Imam of Ugya Central Mosque, Jibril Liman, commended the state government for coming to the aid of the community, who hitherto faced the challenge of access road.
He said that the road when completed will serve the people better, especially farmers as it will serve as a key factor in providing market linkages for rural farmers.
In an interview with The Voice, one of the beneficiaries of the state government’s Conditional Cash Transfer programme, Salamatu Musa, lauded Governor Sule for providing the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Musa noted that as a beneficiary of the N5,000 conditional cash transfer initiated by the present administration, she was hopeful that the project will be completed for the interest of the community and state at large.
“I have benefitted from the money the governor has been giving to the less privileged. I have used the money to start my business and I make up to N2000 everyday,” she said.
Earlier, NUJ Chairman in the state, Salihu Alkali said the essence of the tour was to promote developmental journalism and evaluate the projects initiated by the present administration.
“The tour would afford our members to opportunity to see things for themselves and speak with beneficiaries of the projects. As you see the projects and interact with the benefiting communities, report same to the world what the governor is doing to improve the lives of the people of the state.
“It is not all the time that you write only about challenges and shortcomings, there is need for developmental journalism,” he said.
He, therefore, called on government at all levels to embark on people-oriented projects that would impact more on the lives of the common man.
