The bad state of the Kabba-Isanlu-Egbe-Osi-Ilorin road is receiving attention again as one of the major contractors engaged by the Federal Government has returned to the site.
The construction company, China Geo-engineering Corporation (CGC), which had abandoned its portion since flagged of for construction in 2014 due to poor funding and discrepancies in contractual agreement, has returned to the site fully, and work started immediately, The Guardian has confirmed.
As widely reported a fortnight ago, Senator representing Kogi West Sunday Karimi had promised that the contractor for the Osi—Mopa section of the road would return within two weeks to site, expressing hope for the abandoned federal road and improved security in the area.
This followed months of lobbying and pressure on the federal government agencies and officials, including the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi. Consequently, Karimi disclosed that over N9bn was facilitated for the rehabilitation of the remaining portions that are in bad state, while negotiations for a total reconstruction to bring relief to his constituents and motorists plying the road, continued.
Senator Karimi, on the floor of the Senate, had raised the need for alternative funding for all federal roads in the country, considering the slim purse of the federal government and the enormous roads that needed attention in the country.
He particularly called on the federal government to partner with Mangal Cement Company whose cement plant, located in Iluagba, Kogi West Senatorial District, has a production capacity of 3 million metric tonnes per annum, for the total reconstruction of the stretch of Kabba-Mopamuro-Isanlu-Egbe-Ilorin road under the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITC).
This, the lawmaker noted, was in consideration of the lives, security and economic activities of residents of the host communities, which are of great concern to him.
The rehabilitation of the Phase II of the project was flagged off at Kabba in April 2014 by the then Minister of Works, Mike Onolemem. The 80km stretch, which contract estimated in 2014 at N8.22bn was awarded to Messrs CGC Nigeria Limited, and expected to be completed in three years from the date of the flag-off.
As expected, work commenced from the starting point at Kabba covering a distance of 10 kilometre between Kabba and Ayetoro-Gbedde. However, a few days to the February 2015 presidential and National Assembly polls, (about one year after the job was flagged off and six months after commencement of construction work) the Chinese contracting firm moved its equipment away from site and did not return.
A visit to the site by our reporter yesterday showed that CGC has commenced work at Nursing School, Isanlu, Yagba East Local Council to proceed to Oyi River, near Ejiba, Yagba West Local Council.
The return of CGC to site on the Kabba–Egbe–Ilorin Road is widely seen as a big win for residents of the affected communities in Kwara and Kogi States and trelavelers along the route.
According to Senator Karimi, a total of N9bn was secured for the project. While he earmarked N3bn in his own capital funds for constituency projects in the 2025 Apprroproation Act, he facilitated additional N6bn through lobbying of federal agencies and the Works Minister, Dave Umahi.