The federal government says it has finalised processes to facilitate handing over of the 87-kilometre Koko-Mahuta-Dabai-Zuru road project to the Kebbi government.

Ishaya Vandi-Joseph, controller of works, federal ministry of works, Kebbi field office, stated this on Monday during a joint assessment tour of the project site at Koko in Koko-Bese Local Government Area of the state.

The assessment exercise was being conducted by the representatives of the federal and state governments as well as the contractor handling the project.

The contract was awarded to Great Northern International Company Limited on December 15, 2020, at the cost of N19.7 billion.

However, the company only completed five kilometres of the 87-kilometre road in four years.

Mr Vandi-Joseph said the scope of the project comprised scarification of the existing surfacing, subbase and stone base, binder wiring cost and other road furniture.

He, however, said the project suffered delays due to paucity of funds, adding that considering the importance of the road, the state government followed due process through the ministry to take over the project.

“Therefore, a delegate was sent from the ministry to assess the level of work done by the Great Northern Internation Company Limited.

“At the end of this meeting, a report will be presented to the Minister of Works so that the Kebbi government can takeover and continue with the work,” he said.

Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi said the state government would take ownership of the project to ensure quality work and speedy completion.

Represented by Muhammad Usman-Zuru, Speaker, Kebbi House of Assembly, the governor said the state government has been expecting the handover since.

Mr Idris described the road as one of the most important in the state, adding that he had been following up to actualise the taking over of the project.

He commended the federal government for taking a bold step towards the handing over of the project to the state.

“Today signals the last meeting with the company handling this project, but if the company is interested in this project, it can now join other contractors to bid for the same contract,” the governor said.

Also speaking, Abdullahi Faruq-Muslim, Kebbi commissioner for works, said the road linked about seven local government areas of the state.

“Though the road is a federal government road, so long as it is in Kebbi, it belongs to the Kebbi government because it’s the Kebbi people that will benefit from it. Moreso, this road is the agricultural hub of the state.

“We are going to measure the work done by this contractor metre by metre, inch by inch; after the measurement, then the minister of works will announce the revocation of the contract,” he said.

The contractor, Li Lu Kuan, attributed the delays in the completion of the project to inflation and security challenges. 

(NAN)