Felix Otaru, Lokoja
Kogi State House of Assembly has appealed to executive arm of Government to as a matter of urgency rehabilitate Idah-Onyedega road in Ibaji Local Government Area of the State.
The lawmakers made the appeal during the house plenary in Lokoja.
In a matter of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Ibaji State Constituency and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Comfort Ojoma Nwuchiola, she lamented that the Idah-Onyedega road has become a death trap for people plying that axis.
According to the Lawmaker” It will interest the House to know that one of the devastating consequences of the flooding of Rivers Niger and Benue in 2012 and 2022 is the destruction of Idah —Onyedega Road in Ibaji Local Government Area of our dear State.
“It is on record that many parts of the State were ravaged, tens of thousands of our people rendered homeless, property,, farmlands and infrastructure hugely destroyed. Our experiences in Ibaji are not better. We suffered the highest from the overflowing Rivers Niger and Benue. The entire Local Government was submerged.
“The House should further note that the aftermath of the 2012 and 2022 floods particularly as they affect access to Onyedega, the Local Government Headquarters and other villages within Ibaji, has been devastating.
“The State Government intervened with relief materials and utilitarian amenities, rehabilitation of a number of infrastructures in support of the Local Government Area. What is required now is to reconstruct Idah-Onyedega road and other access roads linking other communities within and outside the Local Government Area.
“The urgent need of my constituents as people affected by the ruins and misfortune of overflowing river is access to their Local Government Headquarters, to their respective homes. This lack of access to good road remains the only scar of the ravages and the healing moment in their collective lives. Rehabilitation of the existing bypass to Onyedega, the headquarter of the Local Government Area will therefore be the all time solution to the most intractable problem of Ibaji Local Government Area”.
“The house should take cognisance of the fact that the said road is badly damaged, cut off at interval in most cases into two. The entire stretch of the road requires filling and grading for proper reconstruction”
She admonished the State Government to map out an engineering work and redesign as well as construct the road with bridges where necessary as a lasting solution.
Seconding the motion, member representing Dekina/Okura and former Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Enema Paul described the situation in Ibaji Local Government as pathetic, calling on the State Government to engage the services of a renowned construction company while reconstructing the road.
In his contribution, member representing Ajaokuta State Constituency Hon. Jibril Abu said Ibaji Local Government can not be neglected as they are contributing immensely to the economic growth and sustainability of Nigeria.
His words “Ibaji Local Government Area can not be hidden in the map because it has become a mainstay in Nigerian economy because of the crude oil. Mr Speaker, traveling to Ibaji is like sentencing your enemy to 21 years in prison. The nature of the road in Ibaji has increased fares and the spate of insecurity.
“Many people especially pregnant women have lost their lives due to the bad nature of the road. Many pregnant women could not have access to medical facilities as they die on the way before reaching the nearest hospital. We don’t want Ibaji Local Government to join the list of communities crying for development despite deserving the 13 percent derivation for producing oil in Nigeria. It is on this note, we are all appealing to Kogi State Government to treat this matter with seriousness”.
Lending his voice, the Lawmaker representing Bassa State Constituency, Hon. Sunday Daku lamented that his Local Government is also faced with bad road network which has affected the social economic development of his people.
“While I am appreciating the effort of the State Government for the construction of bridge in my constituency, I still want them to note that there is no good road in Bassa Local Government. Because of the bad road network across the local government, it has become a breeding ground for hoodlums to carry out their nefarious activities” he stated.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf acknowledged that Ibaji road is always flooded annually, adding that, the contributions of Ibaji Local Government to national economy can not be overemphasized.
The Speaker directed the Clerk of the house to convey the resolution of the House to the Executive arm for further action.
