TheCable

Mohammed Bello, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the Apo-Karshi road will be completed before this year’s rainy season.

Speaking with journalists after the federal executive council (FEC) meeting at the presidential villa on Wednesday, Bello said an error in the design of the road delayed its construction.

The road which is about 13 kilometers was awarded in 2011 to Kakatar Engineering Limited, a company owned by Azibaola Robert, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Commuters around Nyanya, Karu and Karshi axis of the FCT have had to endure traffic congestion on a daily basis.

“The Karshi-Apo road is a project that should have been delivered by now. One of the main challenges faced in that road has to do with error in the design whereby a huge rock outcrop on the alignment of the road corridor became very difficult to be able to arrange,” the minister said.

“We are very happy to say that it is now almost taken care of. I believe within a few months time hopefully before onset of the rains this year, that road would be open.

“Already a portion of that road which links Tundun Wada on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway via old and new Karshi is now very motorable because of the bridge constructed there by the Ecological Fund, which was commissioned about a month ago.”

Bello said lack of funds is the reason the road leading to Pegi in Kuje area council has not been completed.

“I hope in 2021 based on what we have in the budget we will work as much as possible to see that this project is completed after all it’s just 14 kilometers,” he said.