TheCable

The Yagba Action Group (YAG), a Kogi-based socio-political organisation, has called for the full reconstruction of Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin road.

The group, in a statement signed by Toba Adebayo Belushi, its general coordinator,
expressed concern about the road’s “deteriorating condition”, which it described as a “haven for bandits”.

The group said the road is a major obstacle to the socioeconomic development of the Yagba area.

YAG thanked Dave Umahi, minister of works, for the inclusion of a section of the road in the current palliative repairs of federal roads across the country.

It also commended the efforts of Sunday Karimi, senator representing Kogi west, and Leke Abejide, member of the house of representatives for Yagba federal constituency, in securing the road’s inclusion in the 2024 budget.

The group said the repair work in Yagba axis between Mopamuro and Yagba west, which commenced in the last quarter of 2023, came as a huge relief to motorists and residents of the area.

“According to the Works Ministry, this is just a palliative job, pending when the construction will be done. Lump sum provided for award of quick-wins for rehabilitation works during the dry season,” the statement reads.

“It is heartwarming to see the quality and pace of the work from Ejiba township heading to ECWA Seminary, about 5kilometres stretch. Similarly, work is ongoing in Mopa axis. We have information that in November 2023, additional N500m was allocated into the budget by the senate to ensure that the palliative job extends beyond Ejiba to Egbe this year.

“For travellers and residents who have endured the pains of coping with the hazardous impact of the dilapidated road over the years, the current action is a thing of joy and elixir of hope.

“We pray that the main construction will be done, going by budgetary allocations. In the likely best solution, we pray it will be concrete construction like Kabba Junction to Obajana. Information at our our disposal shows that the main plan is to concession the Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin road construction project to a private company on tax waivers.”

The group called on Mangal Industries Limited, owners of the newly established Mangal cement factory in IluHagba, Kogi state, to contribute to the effort in fixing the road, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).