Bassa Leaders Seek Repair Of Shintaku-Gboloko-Dekina, Odenyi-Oguma Roads

Stakeholders in the Bassa local government area of Kogi State have appealed to the federal and state governments to urgently reconstruct the deplorable Shintaku-Gboloko-Dekina and Odenyi-Oguma roads.
They said their poor state has continued to hamper economic activities and worsen the residents’ living conditions.

The Shaaba of Mozum Kingdom, His Royal Highness (HRH), Alhaji Haruna A. Abubakar, said the deplorable condition of the road network had adversely affected the livelihoods of his people.

Abubakar, in a passionate appeal, urged the federal and state governments to prioritise the reconstruction of the road network linking Shintaku via Dekina and Anyigba, along with adjoining state roads connecting Odugbo to Mozum and Odenyi to Oguma, and the Sheria axis.

He noted that while the Odugbo-Mozum and Odenyi-Oguma routes were state roads, the Shintaku-Gboloko-Dekina route was a federal road, hence the need for both levels of government to intervene in their respective areas of responsibility.

According to him, the reconstruction of the roads would boost economic activities in Bassa LGA by facilitating the transportation of agricultural produce to Lokoja and other parts of the state.

He said Bassa was a major producer of cassava, beans, rice, yams, guinea corn, millet and fish, stressing that good road infrastructure would enhance the movement of these products and improve the economic fortunes of the people.

The traditional ruler also commended the federal and state governments for ongoing efforts towards the construction of the Shintaku-Ganaja Bridge, describing the project as critical to improving transportation and economic integration between the communities.

He, however, called on political office holders from the area to close ranks and jointly appeal to relevant government agencies for swift intervention on the roads.

The monarch acknowledged that the state government had recently mobilised contractors to portions of the road, but urged the administration to ensure that the contractors were committed to delivering durable, high-quality roads.

The appeal came on the heels of a similar call by stakeholders during the formal launch and unveiling of the interim executive committee of the Bassa-Nge Progressive Union (BNPU) at Gboloko, the headquarters of the Bassa-Nge Kingdom.

Speaking at the event, the Makama-Daniya of Bassa-Nge Kingdom and Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the union, M.B. Abdullahi, described the inauguration as an important milestone in the development of the newly incorporated organisation.

He said the poor condition of the roads, characterised by several failed sections, had adversely affected the social and economic activities of communities across the local government area.

Responding to the concerns, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, assured the people of Bassa LGA that his administration remained committed to improving infrastructure and residents’ living conditions.

Ododo disclosed that work on the Odenyi-Oguma Road would commence immediately after the rainy season.

On the Shintaku-Gboloko-Dekina Road, the governor said his administration was engaging the Federal Government to ensure the reconstruction and completion of the federal road project being handled by TEC Engineering.

He said the state Commissioner for Works had, on his directive, visited the Minister of Works twice to press for the project’s completion.

The governor gave the assurance when he received a delegation of Bassa stakeholders and members of the Bassa Ododo Women 2027 group on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Lokoja.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Muhammed Muktar Shuaibu, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, commended the governor for his administration’s infrastructure development efforts but drew his attention to the poor condition of the Shintaku-Gboloko-Dekina and Odenyi-Oguma roads.

Governor Ododo assured the delegation that his administration would continue to engage the Federal Government until the Shintaku-Gboloko-Dekina road project was completed.

The stakeholders maintained that urgent intervention on the roads would not only ease transportation but also stimulate trade, agriculture and other economic activities across Bassa LGA and provide easier access to Lokoja, the state capital.