FG orders opening of bye-pass in Lokoja-Abuja road

September 27, 2012 by Success Nwogu with agency report 

Reprieve came the way of stranded motorists along Lokoja-Abuja road, as the Federal Government directed the opening of an identified bye-pass along the road on Wednesday.

Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolemenen, stated this after the Federal Executive Council  meeting presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Onolemenen said the bye-pass, which had been created around the flooded area would be opened to motorists from Thursday.

He said government had engaged construction giants in the country to create the bye-pass as a temporary measure to ease the suffering of commuters.

He said, “What we’ve been doing since yesterday morning is that around the flooded area, we identified a bye-pass which we have created.

“As at this morning, we have attained about 60 per cent completion. From the way we are going, by tomorrow, the road should be opened to motorists.

“We have done a diversion at those drainages and vehicles will be able to now drive normally through this bye-pass without having recourse to canoes on our roads as a result of the flooding that happened.

“For us, that was a national priority because we needed to open that particular transport corridor so that movement between the southern states and the northern states will not be impaired.

“We have done that and I want Nigerians to be assured that government is with them in this situation and that government will continue to do all in its power to ensure that the pains are reduced to the barest minimum.”

Also Minister of Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafia, said a Presidential Committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to assess the impact of flooding across the country presented a preliminary report to the Council.

She said the committee visited seven states to ascertain the extent of impact of the flood on life and infrastructure and to identify immediate areas of intervention.

She said, “The most devastating that we have witnessed is that of Kogi State where we have a major road completely made impassable.

“We have also seen a lot of infrastructure submerged and witnessed very traumatising experiences by people that were affected.”

Mailafia said among the consequences of the flooding was huge loss of farmlands which might likely pose a threat to food security.

Meanwhile, Chairman, State Emergency Management Agency of Kogi State, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, has said  about  eight people and over N5bn were lost in the flooding that is ravaging the state.

He stated that six persons lost their lives and two others are still missing.

In an interview with journalists in Lokoja on Wednesday, he said the devastation occasioned by the  flood was enormous.

He stated that many farmlands had been washed away, buildings, roads and bridges submerged and farm produce destroyed.

SOURCE: The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper 27 September 2012.