The Plateau State government has expressed concern with the constant vandalism of solar panels, especially around the Bauchi Road Bridge, and urged communities to help safeguard public infrastructure as they are all being funding by tax-payers.
The commissioner for works, Hon. Ubandoma Laven, while speaking with newsmen in Jos at the weekend debunked claims by the opposition party that the ongoing road and infrastructure projects in the state were funded by the World Bank.
He stressed that every project was 100 percent funded through taxpayers’ money and government revenue.
The commissioner said when the Mutfwang administration came on board, it inherited 45 abandoned projects, 19 have been re-engaged while three are fully completed, including Mararaban Jama, Millionaires Junction Bridge Secretariat Junction Flyover and Shendam Township Bypass
“These are not World Bank projects,” he said, “All are funded by the Plateau State government.”
According to the commissioner, some of the major ongoing State-funded projects to include, Zawan Junction, Mararaban Jama Road (with bridge works) Mangu Kengyel Lere Road (revived after 8 years), Gungji Shoi Kwi road and the dualization of old Airport Rayfield Road among others.
He also noted that the state had intervened in some federal roads, such as the Feringada Road and Mararaban Jama Federal Road, to ease the hardship of commuters.
The commissioner further explained that the solar lighting projects across Jos/ Bukuru Metropolis are also not World Bank-funded, but executed by Blue Camel Construction Company.
“Over 2,800 Lamps and 1,800 Poles have been installed in areas such as Secretariat Junction
to Mararaban Jama,Tin Junction Rayfield to Raho Kanan, PRTV Roundabout Golf Club to Rayfield Resort Terminus Bauchi Road to University of Jos and UTC Junction to Bauchi Road Bridge.
Laven further disclosed that a new contractor had been mobilised for additional streetlight networks covering over 59 km across the metropolis.
According to him, all the projects are currently ongoing under the Ministry of Works and fully funded by the state government.
