Okene-Kabba, Kabba -Omuo Road Rehabilitation: Fact & Struggle For Cheap Political Popularity

Recently, the social media was awashed with praise singing by Kogi State “government boys” who claimed the award of contract for the rehabilitation of Okene-Kabba road, Kabba-Omuo-Ekiti road  and other strategic roads within Kogi west senatorial district was made possible by the mere visitation of the governor of Kogi State, Alh. Yahaya Bello to the minister of Works,  Housing and power Babatunde Raji Fashola.

Ordinary, I would not have dignifed the obvious fallacy and misrepresentation of fact with response but for the benefit of the unsuspecting public  who they intend to misinform by the  fabricated lies and for posterity sake,  I have decided to set the record straight.

Common sense demand that we ask those promoting the falsehood about the award of contract for the rehabilitation of the aforementioned road some pertinent questions ; Does a state governor have appropriation power over federal goverment projects? Was the road rehabilitation projects captured in 2016 appropriation law? How did those road projects got into the 2016 appropriation law?  Was it the governor of Kogi state who lobbied for the roads to be captured in the 2016 budget? when was the budget passed and when did the governor visit the minister of Works, Housing and power?

The answer to the above questions should rightly inform us that the governor played no role in the award of those contracts for the rehabilitation of our roads. Okun people are highly educated and informed people, we can not buy in to the cheap popularity drive of the goverment of the day whose intent is to steal the glory of what other people laboured for through the instrumentality of their propaganda machines.

As if the show of shame by the Kogi state governor’s handlers is not enough, it was surprising to see the aides of the Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district Senator Dino Melaye trying to also take glory for the same project as if winning the next election is about who facilitated the road rehabilitation project. Senator Dino himself got to know about the road projects after they were already captured in the budget and some indigent contractors went to lobby him to help them secure the contract. It then amazed me the speed at which the senator turn around to claim the facilitator of those projects he was never part of ab initio. That is a discussion for another day.

We know those who worked tirelessly to ensure that the bad roads in our area are captured in the 2016 budget, certainly not the governor of Kogi State Alh Yahaya Bello or Sen Dino Melaye. Posterity will not forgive us if we refuse to accord them the needed glory and recognition.

Let me take us back to memory lane on how it all started.  On may 21st 2016, the member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency,  Hon Teejay Yusuf released a press statement titled: Obajana-Kabba road, concession is a triumph of tenacity, collaboration and Faith. ( http://www.savidnews.com/obajana-kabba-road-concession-is-a-triumph-of-tenacity-collaboration-faith-hon-tj-yusuf/ ) therein, I quote.

“Realizing that there are no good roads in, around and within communities in Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal constituency, I (with the support of our brothers and sisters in Federal Civil Service) was able to successfully network for the listing of the following Road projects in Budget Year 2016:-

1. Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Repairs of Gbede-Ofere Kiri Axis (Kogi State) of the Ayetoro Gbede –Egan Federal Road-Cost N81m

2. General Maintenance Repairs of Kabba-Omuo Ekiti S/B Road – Cost N200m

3. Maintenance Repairs of Okene-Kabba Road in Kogi state – N185m

4. Kabba-Isanlu-Egbe –Omu Aran (Kwara State) border – N132m

Permit me to use this medium to on behalf of the good people of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, express my profound appreciation and commendation to our very vibrant, passionate and committed brothers and sisters in the Federal Civil Service who made these possible. It is my sincere prayers that Almighty God will reward your labour of love, Amen”

This is not the first time Hon Teejay Yusuf is partnering with Okun sons in FERMA to rehabilitate roads within his constituency. In 2013, his effort and that of Engineer Bode Iluromi  who was a senior director at the agency led the smooth rehabilitation of Iyah-Fadile junction road. It is also worthy of Note that Hon Teejay Yusuf has been a member of House of Representatives committee on FERMA since 2011 and that explains why he has been succeeding in drawing Federal goverment attention to our deplorable roads. Please note that the Aiyetoro-Gbede-Kiri axis was recently inspected and would be awarded soonest before it’s also hijacked

A popular adage in Yoruba says, when a child shows gratitude for the good deeds of yesterday,  he is strategically positioned for another. We thank Hon. Teejay Yusuf for his good deeds and we urge him not to be distracted by those who have not done anything but want to take glory to score cheap political goal.

Adetayo Opeyemi Duke
Abuja.

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