Residents and motorists plying the Ilorin-Jebba expressway in Kwara State North Central Nigeria have appealed to the Nigerian Government to mobilize the contractor handling the major highway to return back to site.
The road that connects major roads linking Oyo, Kwara, Niger and other states in the South West and North Western parts of the country is no longer motor-able .
A particular portion of the major highway stretching 5.7kilometers have given way which has led to heavy vehicles coming from other states to divert their destinations into the Ilorin township thereby destroying the fragile roads and putting the lives of the citizens at risk.
As a result of these development, the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway which was constructed sometime in 2018 and said to be one of the busiest highways in Nigeria with several vehicles both private and commercial plying it daily has now become a nightmare for its users while there are fears that kidnappers, armed robbers and bandits might turn the major highway to spots where they can operate and perpetrate their nefarious activities.
The 93.6km road is part of the entire road contract awarded since December 2013 by the Federal Government, stretching from Ilorin-Jebba – Mokwa route at the contract sum of N14.579 billion which was later completed in 2018.
Contractor to return to site
In an interview with VON Correspondent in his office, the Federal Controller of Works in Kwara State, Engineer Atetibi Wasiu disclosed that the Ministry has contacted the contractor handling the project, CGC to return back to site due to the hardship motorists are presently going through.
According to him, efforts were also in place by the Federal Government to mobilize the contractor to fully return to site because the CGC is still being owned a large sum of money.
He therefore urged motorists, residents and other road users to be patient with the ministry as efforts are on to put the road back to use.
Similarly, residents of the affected portion and motorists plying the damaged road have appealed to the Federal Government to urgently repair the road lamenting that it has affected negatively their means of livelihood while their lives too are in danger.
Meeting with Works Minister
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Thursday held a marathon meeting with the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola on the bad state of some federal government roads in the state.
The Governor, who had the Works Commissioner Rotimi Iliasu with him at the meeting, thanked the federal government for its projects in the state and drew attention to the deplorable condition of some of the Federal roads in the state.
He appealed to the Minister for the roads to be fixed to ease the burden of the people of the state.
Some of the roads discussed include the Kishi-Kaiama; dualisation of the Eiyenkorin /Jebba road, with emphasis on the bad section before Oko-Olowo, Ilorin Kabba Road and others.
The Minister said the requests of the Governor would be looked into, especially as the federal government puts finishing touches on the 2022 budget.
Nneka Ukachukwu
