Katsina elders appeal to Fashola over abandoned road project

 

For the last three months, the Katsina State Elders’ Forum has raised worry about the abandoned Kano-Katsina road project.

They urged the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to direct the project’s contractors to return to the site and finish the job.

The call was made by the Elders’ Forum Secretary, Alhaji Aliyu Sani Mohammed, during an interactive session with certain media in the state.

According to Elder Aliyu, the contractor has since left the location and transported all of their working equipment.

Aliyu stated that the single carriageway, which is being rebuilt to a dual carriageway to facilitate traffic flow on the highway, was more than 65 percent completed before it was abandoned over three months ago.

On why the contractors abandoned the project site, the elder statesman said: “We don’t exactly know why but a source said the contractors want compensations given to property owners in the affected areas which must have been included in the SUKUK fund arrangement.”

Elder Aliyu said: “We are concerned about the Kano-Katsina road which we noticed that work has stopped completely and the contractors have parked and relocated their equipment to another place with no explanation whatsoever.

“This project is very important to the country, being that the Kano-Katsina road is a gateway to other States like Zamfara, Sokoto, and even the Niger Republic.

“So, we are appealing to the Minister to please ask the contractors to come back and finish this job. What is left is just about 30-35%. He should please instruct the contractors to come back and complete the project in good time.”

It was, however, gathered that the contractors suspended the road project over unpaid compensations to properties owners in the affected areas, which the works minister during his last tour to the project site, enjoined the respective State governors to shoulder the responsibility.