Many have the fear that the administration of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State may leave a debt burden beyond the strength of the incoming administration.
While some said their fear was out of genuine concerns, most have been accused of embellishing the facts on ground saying that they are far from the truth.
The government also believe that most are oblivious of some critical moves made in reversing the story of the dilapidated state of the roads in the state, both intra-city and intercity roads, through few loss and capital receipts.
LEADERSHIP Weekend examines some of the road projects in the state and the government’s search for alternative funding arrangements including loans, development partners and other forms of capital receipts.
Questions, no doubt, linger on whether the debt profile of the state was exaggerated or not. Could the road projects justify whatever burden that will be left for the incoming administration?
On this premise, LEADERSHIP Weekend visited some of the road projects, most completed and some at completion stage, with work being fast-tracked to meet the specifications.
It was discovered that some of the roads through development partners have been commissioned. For instance, the 66.32km Tashan-Hajia rural road in Lavun local government area constructed earlier by Rural Access Mobility Project Scheme (RAMPS), with Niger State government paying for the surface dressing and laying of asphalt outside the earlier arrangements of the programme, have been commissioned.
It was discovered that Niger State government under Governor Bello has constructed, through RAMPS, over 500km of rural roads and paying several billions of naira for the surface dressing.
A resident of Tashan-Hajia, Mohammed Ibrahim said “before now, we often passed through hell to go to the next village just 10 kilometres from here but now we feel fulfilled and it is an indelible legacy.
“We heard this is through some development partners; we appreciate that government paid their counterpart funds and provide extra funds to make this happen.”
“Those who travel through Niger State buying farm produce for processing understand the hassle of transporting goods from the rural areas. Because of the lack of access roads, farmers who are incapable of transporting these produce from their farms are forced to sell at very low cost or risk wastage but now it has been mitigated,” Abdulberqy Ebbo, the director-general ICT, has said to justify government’s investment in this direction.
He stated further that “to suggest now that the construction of rural roads linking them to the cities is misplaced is not only unwise but shortsighted.”
Apart from the fact that the rural road project has been completed in most intra-city linking, the work on the dualisation of Broadcasting Road has been completed and commissioned. Also, the rehabilitation of the Bosso Estate has been completed and commissioned.
Similarly, another road was constructed by the government after the completion of broadcasting road linking Goodluck Jonathan Way (Imani Road), Minna.
Also, in Shango, behind IBB University Guest House Road and Morris Fertilizer Road in Minna, are two of the many roads constructed by the government.
The people of Anguwan Daji in Minna will soon have their road reconstructed as work has resumed on the road. The people of Unguwan Daji, living in the heart of Minna, have suffered bad road network for nearly two decades but the intervention of the Governor Bello administration has remedied the situation. Though the administration is coming to an end, work has progressed seamlessly on the road.
Work has been completed on Tayi Village-Unguwan Biri Road in Minna while residents of Piggery Road Minna and the Maitumbi area in Minna are about to have smooth road networks as work is in progress on the roads.
Maikunkele, the headquarters of Bossosso local government area, an ancient city, now has its township road reconstructed by the government after several years of neglect.
The administration started and completed many other road networks in Minna the state capital with a worthy economic consideration for the well-being of the residents of the state capital.
Similarly, the government has opened up intra-city roads in Kontagora, Suleja, the ancient city of Zungeru, and completed some inherited by his administration in Bida township.
In Kontagora, for instance, the government rehabilitated the dualised Lagos-Kaduna Road while reconstruction work is ongoing at the township bypass.
Findings by LEADERSHIP Weekend revealed that government secured N14.5 billion loan from a commercial bank to fastrack the completion of the priority road projects as well as in other sectors like the Suleja and Kontagora hospitals.
In inter-city roads, the government embarked on the rehabilitation of Paiko-Lapai Road, and Bonu-Genu Road in the Rijau local government area of the state.
Some of the residents interviewed believed that the government has made so much investment in roads but the gaps left before the present administration were too huge for the people to quickly feel the impacts of the investment.
A social development expert, Musa Farouk noted that the projects have a direct bearing on the expectations of the people, hence the loan for projects was not a bad idea.
Niger State government however has faced various difficulties in progressing with work on the notorious Minna-Bida Road after the government had awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the road.
The government sought an $86.64million loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), for the reconstruction and upgrading of the 82-kilometre road but it could not come to fruition as quickly as the people wished.
Recently, however, the Niger State governor commended the Abu Dhabi Fund Development (ADFD) for signing an agreement with the Nigerian government to support the reconstruction of the Minna-Bida Road with $45 million.
In a statement, Governor Bello described the development as “cheering news” adding that the support will in no small measure complement the state’s efforts in the reconstruction work.
The governor observed that the road is a gateway, connecting the northern and the southern parts of the country, hence, completing the project would promote development and ensure the free-flow of vehicular movements.
He also appreciated the federal government for the confidence reposed in the state government towards completing the dualisation of the Minna-Bida Road by ensuring the signing of the $45 million loan with the ADFB.
The minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed signed on behalf of the Nigerian government while Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General site signed up for the ADFD virtually in Abuja and Doha respectively.
While the Niger State government is carrying out 15km (Kpakungu to Garatu portion) of the project at the cost of over N17 billion, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) which had earlier signed a similar agreement is supporting the project by executing 40km from Garatu to Kakapkangi at the cost of $86.64m.
The agreement with ADFD will ensure the completion of the (27km) project from Kakapagi to Bida at the cost of $44.76m.
The construction of the road, which will be a dual carriageway, will also include markets, schools, a toll gate and weigh bridge among others, at a total cost of $163 million thereby making the administration of Governor Bello to be the one laying a solid foundation for the easy completion of the all-important road by the succeeding government.
In this direction, the completion stage of the projects will at the end prove the government right or wrong on ‘general good principles’ behind the road projects and the need to seek alternative funding arrangements.
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