The Kogi State Government has disclosed that it saved over 35 per cent of operational costs, after activating Kogi State Road Maintenance Agency.
Commissioner for Works, Housing, Lands and Urban Development, Mr. Abdulmumin Sadiq, who urged other states to reactivate their comatose road maintenance agencies, explained that the feat would aid infrastructural development.
According to the commissioner, road constructions can be contracted to private firms but states should be encouraged to empower their maintenance agencies to maintain the roads, adding that the current economy calls for innovative measures that will cut cost while providing sustainable infrastructure for emerging cities in Nigeria.
Speaking at an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abuja, the commissioner expressed the concern that “road infrastructure is very expensive,” and lamented that Nigeria has continued to suffer from bad tradition of road maintenance.
He said, “A lot of money is put into road construction but they fail to make provision for road maintenance. Road maintenance must start on the same day that the construction ends, otherwise, it will start falling into bad shape.
“The Yahaya Bello administration is fulfilling its pledge to provide roads and housing infrastructure to the electorate. Despite limited funds, the KGRMA fixed the Lokoja-Okene road, using palliative measures and the same strategy was adopted in the repairs carried out on the road network from Lokoja metropolis to the office of the Chief Judge of the state.”
