The Kogi State House of Assembly has summoned Spectrum Engineering LTD to brief the House on why the 6km Ihima-Oboroke-Obangede road reconstruction was abandoned.
In a motion of urgent public importance by the member representing Okehi Constituency, Otokiti Alhassan Zakariya, he said the dilapidated road has not only hampered commercial activities among the affected communities but endangered the lives and properties of his constituents and travellers plying the road.
“It is sad to draw the attention of this august Assembly to the increasing cases of criminal activities perpetrated by hoodlums along the abandoned 6km Obehira-OborokeObangede road under construction.
“Cases of robbery, kidnapping, theft, and rape are recorded almost on daily bases in this road. The contract for the reconstruction of the road was awarded to Spectrum Engineering LTD in 2016 with a completion period of less than a year. Disappointingly, the contract was not properly executed.
“I want the house to further note that the firm, before the end of the same year, was summoned twice by the House Committee on Works of the 6th Assembly for its failure to comply with contract terms even after receiving 60% of the contract sum,
“Despite repeated interventions by this august Assembly and appeals by other individuals to ensure the completion of the road, the contractor acted contrarily. This abandoned project is currently providing the hoodlums the hot spots for their onslaught. The bad road slows down vehicular movement, an Opportunity for attack, and hinders quick response by the security personnel, whenever crime occurs.
“Last year, a young man was abducted along the road, and ransom was demanded and collected before his release. A few weeks ago, while going through the road, one Mustapha Nuhu, an Okehi Divisional Police Officer Obangede, and his friend were ambushed.
“Mr Mustapha sustained a gunshot injury from the attack causing a severe fracture on his leg. He is currently receiving medical care to avert amputation.
As a result of the foregoing, the number of motorists plying the road has drastically reduced and farmers, particularly the women, are also abandoning the road owing to fear of being robbed, kidnapped or raped as the case may be,” he lamented.
According to the Lawmakers, this ugly trend has negatively affected the socio-economic development of the affected communes. “There is an urgent need, therefore, to checkmate this ugly trend and ensure safety to the people, “he added.
Ruling on the matter, the Speaker of the House Aliyu Umar Yusuf, lamented the growing security challenges in the state.
Giving an account of his own experience, the Speaker said, “Students of Federal University Lokoja can no longer sleep with their eyes closed. Some hoodlums will go in their numbers and rob them of their belongings. Even in the state capital, people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed. The Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, Vigilantes and other security agencies should beef up security around the state so that this element will not find the State a safe haven. It is becoming embarrassing”.
He, however, directed the House Committee on Works and Infrastructure and Kogi State Ministry of Work to jointly carry out on-the-spot assessment of the project with a view to proposing appropriate recommendations to the hallow chamber.