As residents of the Oju and Obi local government area of Benue state continue to wail, seeking a lasting solution to the deplorable state of the Otukpo-Oju federal road, facts and figures have emerged concerning federal government allocation for the construction of the 52 km road.
The Oju and Obi local government area of Benue state are among the 7 local governments in the Benue south senatorial zone that has Otukpo local government as its headquarters.
Residents of these local governments have, for years, decried the deplorable state of only the only road connecting them to Otukpo, the zonal headquarter, which is also the business centre for the Benue south senatorial zones.
As residents intensifies cries, going to several but legal lengths of peaceful protests, blockage of some sections of the road, written letters and social media campaign to register their displeasures, questions are being asked and constituents continues to doubt the capacities of their elective representatives, citing incompetence to bring the dividends of the democracy to the people, even in the midst of federal government allocations.
According to Ode Emmanuel, 49, resident of Oju, “the body language of our elective representatives speaks volumes. It is either they lack the political will to execute the project, or they are not capable of representing our interest”
Onah Joseph OTOR, 30, also validates Emmanuel’s position by pointing that “representatives like Patrick Abba Moro, the senate minority leader should be bold, compassionate enough to nominate the construction of the 52 kilometre road.”
According to OTOR, politics should end at the poll, leadership should begin immediately, and such leadership should be people driven.
New Facts and Figures About the Otukpo-Oju road
According to the twenty-twenty-four consolidated budget document for Benue state as compiled by Tracka, the accountability project of the BudgIT, over 831 million naira has been earmarked for the construction, rehabilitation, and emergency repair of the Otukpo-Oju road and are placed under the Ministry of Works for supervision.
These are monies allocated by the federal government of Nigeria in a series of efforts to ameliorate the plights of the people of Oju and Obi federal constituency who are the direct beneficiaries of the road.
If constructed, the road will encourage trade and investment as residents will have appreciable rewards for their skills and occupations as majority of the residents deal directly on subsistence farming, welding and fabrication that needs a good market.
While these monies are billed to be there in the ministry of works, barely two months to the end of the fiscal year 2024, there are no signs that the road will be constructed, nor are they indications that there is an ongoing procurement process for the award of the road.
This raises concerns, posing further dents on the integrity of the senator representing Benue south senatorial district Senator Abba Moro as he seems to be the major nominator of the project.
While Abba moro is fingered in most of the discussion, the house of representative member for Oju and Obi federal constituency is not left out in the discussion as many more continue to hope on him to speed action for the immediate construction of the road.
Recall that RT. HON David Ogewu has moved motions on the floor of the house for the immediate reconstruction and repair of the road as he mentioned that the house must mandate the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to immediately repair the Otukpo-Oju road.
Will these representatives follow the money?
Our leaders need special attention when such cry is sound, so that it will be easy for proper execution and their is a need to set up other committee to monitor the project as well