National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Olabode Adaramola
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Limited (NNPC), Mr Mele Kyari and the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Muhammad Nami, on Thursday inspected the ongoing construction of Bida-Lambata road in Niger state.
It would however be recalled that the Federal Executive Council( FEC) had in 2018 approved N33billion for the rehabilitation of 123.9 kilometres Bida-Lapai-Lambata road in Niger State.
Mele Kyari however commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Federal executive order 007 that ensured NNPC and other institutions that were commercial in nature to utilize their tax obligations to create infrastructure in the country.
He also thanked the chairman of FIRS for allowing NNPC to participate in the project by enabling it to invest N621 billion in the first phase of road intervention of 21 federal roads totally 1,800 kilometres across the country.
“The Federal roads when completed will bring about free improvement in infrastructure in the country,” he said.
He noted that about N1trillion would also be invested by NNPC in the second phase of the road intervention, adding that the projects were meant to bring change in the country and bring infrastructure close to the people.
The GMD said the road intervention would enable utilisation of tax revenues appropriately to benefit the people and expressed satisfaction with the construction work, adding that efficient monitoring and supervisory system were put in place for quality execution of the projects.
Also, Nami, disclosed that the Bida-Lapai-Lambata road was last constructed in 1976
and appreciated NNPC and all tax payers for taking interest to fix all bad roads for easy movement of goods and services especially petroleum products.
He lauded NNPC for indicating interest to execute the projects as well as MTN and other tax players that were fixing other roads across the country, urging other tax payers to key into the executive order 007 to bring about easy movement of goods and products across the country.
Minister of Works, Mr. Babatunde Fadhola who was represented by the Director, Construction and Rehabilitation in the Ministry, Mr. Esan Folorunsho commended NNPC and FIRS for bringing resources to ensure completion of the project which was critical to the nation’s petroleum industry and road users.
In his remarks, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Chairman of Niger state Council of Traditional Rulers and Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar appreciated the Federal government, NNPC, and FIRS, for the road intervention in the state as the road which was economical in all aspects of the country.
He appealed to the Federal government to intervene on Agaie-Katcha- Baro road which was economically important for water transportation as well as intervention on Baro-Gulu-Yaba road which links to Lokoja,in Kogi State and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory.
In their separate remarks, the National President of Nigeria Association of Road Transport Of Owners (NARTO), Malam Yusuf Lawal and the Secretary General of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Afolabi Olawale, said the project when completed will reduce the hardship their members face on the route.
They added that the project when completed would also reduce agitations of their members and improve security on the road.
About 62 kilometres out of the 124.9 kilometers Bida-Lapai-Lambata road has so far been completed.
