Bassa Local Government Council in Kogi East Senatorial District is one of the worst hits of governor Yahaya Bello’s administration in over seven years with laudable projects which were initiated by the former governor Idris Ichalla Wada abandoned as he could not secure a second term of office in 2015.
One of the projects was the celebrated 16 kilometre Odenyi-Oguma-Sheria bridge which the former started construction.
The projects were seamlessly going on with a budget in 2016 for its timeous completion, but immediately, Yahaya Bello was sworn into office as the executive governor, he abandoned the projects and neither was there any explanation on the funds appropriated for in 2016 budget.
The former Commissioner for Works and Housing, and now Senator-elect for Kogi Central Senatorial District, Engr. Abubakar Ohere has never recaptured the critical bridgea and road project in Bassa throughout his time in office.
CAPITAL POST recalled that the late Prince Abubakar Audu promised to complete the bridge projects and construct asphalt road while he described Bassa-nge, and Bassa-komo people as hardworking and sincere. He made the statement in one of his campaign outings in Oguma in 2015 before his death while coasting to victory in the November governorship election.
Speaking on the abandoned projects, a community leader in Oguma, Hon, Shaba Gabriel lamented that the lack of road has caused untold hardship in Bassa land has made the entire Local Government vulnerable to criminal attacks.
According to him, “transporting agricultural products from Oguma, Odenyi and other adjoining communities to the famous Sheria market was a sort of hell.”
He told our correspondent that the Local Government Chairman and member representing Bassa Local Government in the House of Assembly cannot open up to the governor on hardships ocassioned by the abandonment, lamenting that, if Wada had returned, he would have finished the projects on good time.
He noted that the road was a major one in Bassa Local Government as
over 20 communities would be directly exposed to economic development and agricultural activities, if completed.
Self-help bridge
He revealed that there were community self-help on making temporary bridge to enable travellers cross the rivers.
CAPITAL POST observed that Contractors handling the projects have removed their equipment from the site, suggesting that Bello administration was unwilling to complete the projects.
Bridge yet to be constructed across this river
Another self-help bridge constructed by the community for temporary use