Road construction creates jobs, promote procurement – Fashola

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, says road construction has enabled the government to create jobs and promote procurement.

Fashola made this assertion on Tuesday during his inspection tour of the Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani road in Niger.

It was reported that the road is one of the five roads under construction listed for inspection during the two-day tour of the minister.

Earlier, the inspection team had stopped at the New Bussa-Wawa-Kaiama road being rehabilitated.

According to him, the main thrust of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was to create jobs and this is being achieved through the construction of roads.

“I am satisfied with the job creation component of the project, so on every road site there are hundreds of Nigerians getting work.

“Those are the economic issues that Mr President is getting done and paying attention to.

“I am satisfied with the part where aggregate, laterites, crush stones iron and people establishing crushing plants and quarries, that is the economic consequences of this strategic infrastructure.

“That’s the outcome of the road projects, hundreds of thousands or millions of people will be employed.

Fashola said that if this contnues, the concerns about issues of unemployment would drop because people, who were at the last base of the economic pyramid could get dignifying jobs instead of begging and living a life of uncertainties,” he said.

On his assessment of the work of the contractors, the minister said he was satisfied with their work as government has engaged only companies with capacity to deliver.

He added that most of the issues they have had to do with funds, which was an issue to be resolved by the government.

According to him, the government was working to ensure that more budgetry allocation was made for the roads.

In separate interviews with some villagers of Mokwa on their perception of the road project and its impact on them, they said the road was a valuable asset to them and commended the effort of the Federal Government.

Mr Mamudu Haliu, one of the respondents, said the road was a welcome development as it would bring an end to accidents and deaths in the area.

He added that the construction had enabled hundreds of villagers to be employed by the construction company.

On what assistance the community was giving to ensure that the road was delivered on time, he said the people would continue to protect the equipment and the workers.

Another respondents and villager, Mr Aliu Mohammed said since they understand that the land belonged to the government what they desire was for the government to come and develop the area, so that they could easily transport their farm produce.

He added that trailers and fuel tankers would stop falling on the road and thereby reduce accidents on the road.

It was reported that about five road projects are to be inspected by the minister, which include the Dualusation of Suleja-Minna Road, Phase I and II, Reconstruction of Bida Lapai-Lambata road.

Others are Agaie-Katcha Barrow road, Dualusation of Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani road Junction road in Kwara and Niger state.

Already the minister had inspected the Suleja/Minna road, Bida Lampai-Lambata,and Agaie Barro road.