The National Economic Council has begun monitoring and evaluation of capital projects under the infrastructural development funds to Benue state and five other pilot states, as part of its infrastructure data collation nationwide.
The NEC committee, headed by the Director of Special Duties, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, while commending the Benue state government for completing the Oshigbudu-Obagaji road in Agatu, believes governor Ortom is on track with the outter ring Mobile Barrack road project.
Speaking on the state of feeder roads like the recently completed Agatu road and the ongoing work on the Gbajimba-Origbo and the Mobile Barracks road, the state government says, it is determined to open up new trading opportunities to farmers and improve security response to remote villages.
One of such projects listed for inspection and evaluation by the team, is the 10 Kilometer Oshigbudu-Obagaji road in Agatu Local Government, recently completed by the state government since the 15th Century, when the first native Agatu indigenes settled.
The road is one of the abandoned projects inherited by governor Samuel Ortom, who feels the need to complete it, to ease economic activities and timely security response to the frequent herdsmen/farmers security breaches in Agatu over the years.
Some of the residents who returned to Agatu to start off their lives and economic activities, commend governor Samuel Ortom for wiping away their tears.
Halima John-Jack, a local government healthcare development staff bears her mind on the importance of the completed road project.
“Agatu has been suffering for over 30 years and just the coming of the present governor, Samuel Ortom we are now enjoying the road, anything taken to the market now, before you know has finished”.
She further commended the government for considering them in the distribution of development projects in the state.
“With the help of this present governor now, we are enjoying the road”
The Traditional Ruler of Obagaji, Agatu Local Government headquarter, Chief James Edoh says, the lack of road to Agatu since the 14th Century, had affected them negatively.
“As far back as The 14th Century, we have been yearning and praying to God for us to have the road we have now”.
Meanwhile, the National Economic Council team also visited the ongoing work on the N3.1 Billion Mobile Barracks roads as well as the Gbajimba-Origbo ashphalt roads.
The team leader, Mr Bolaji Sa’adu, expressed optimism on the project performance while the Benue state government speaks on the importance of the projects.
“We are supposed to give a One year report back to the council and we felt the need to visit the state to do on the spot assessment of projects. Yesterday we visited two projects, this is the third project related to road construction and I was told this is a 24 Kilometer Ring road and i’m quite impressed and believe very soon the project will be completed”.
The Permanent Secretary, Benue State Ministry Of Finance and Economic Develoment, Mr Matthew Uyina also speaks on the importance of the projects to rural communities in the state.
“The idea is to be able to link the rural communities to ensure that the agricultural value chain is enhanced, so that the lives of the ordinary citizens of Benue state is also enhanced along with it, so that the living standards generally can go up”.
“The economic indices can go up with all these coming and I can assure you that it is not only in rural roads, there is so much being done in rural electrification and all the other areas because the state is thinking of diversification”.
Since assuming office in 2015, the governor Samuel Ortom led administration, has reactivated 11 abandoned rural roads across the state, including the Gbajimba feeder roads, which is now under construction.
