The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Works and Housing has reassured Nigerians of its commitment to the completion of the Abuja- Kaduna- Kano road.
Minister of State for Works and Housing, Hon.Umar Ibrahim El- Yakub gave the assurance while inspecting the road from Abuja to Kaduna eastern bypass on Thursday, October 20, 2022.
The Minister said the contractor suspended work on the first section of the road due to the security threat especially after the train attack in March this year will soon resume work fully on the road because of the obvious improvement on the security in the area.
He said contrary to the speculation that the contract was abandoned, palliative work was being done after it was discovered that the road had deteriorated due to the effect of rainfall.
The Minister added that the contractor has been working on the second and third sections of the road which have reached appreciable level and would be delivered on schedule.
He said, ” We are still optimistic that sections two and three of the road will be finished between now and first quarter of next year.However, section one will be longer than that for obvious reasons.”
El-Yakub said work on the three sections were moving simultaneously before the train attack and over fifty percent of the work on section one was achieved before the contractor suspended the work due to the security problem.
Speaking on the progress of work at the eastern bypass in Kaduna, the Minister lamented that the contract which was awarded by the previous administration in 2002 neglected until the advent of the President Buhari led administration who has placed premium on infrastructure development across the nation due to its significance to development and prosperity of the people and the country.
He disclosed that the bypass has a total of ten bridges: four land bridges, five river bridges and one bridge over the railway line.
He commended Mr. President, the Chief of Defence Staff and the entire security operatives for their tireless efforts in ensuring the security of life and properties of the people.
The Minister who reassured Nigerians that maximum attention will be given to the work on the road to ensure its completion as soon as possible, observed that no administration in recent times has committed so much efforts and resources on infrastructure be it road, rail, airport, health or digital communication.
Similarly, the Honourable member representing Tudunwada – Doguwa Constituency of Kano State in the House of Representatives, Honourable Alhassan Ado Doguwa who was passing by during the inspection commended President Buhari and the Ministers of Works and Housing for their commitment to the work on the road, adding that when completed it would ease the security threat in the area.
He also praised the commitment of the President and security architecture in the country for their efforts in addressing the security problem in the country especially in recent times.
The Federal Controllers of Works for the Federal Capital Territory and that of Kaduna State expressed gratitude for the encouragement by the management of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and gave the assurance of the commitment of the contractor to the project.
