In its bid to boost agribusiness, connect farms to major cities, the federal government has commenced rehabilitation of major roads in Benue linking Nasarawa, Plateau, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba States to the Eastern part of the country, to ease transportation of agricultural products.The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, while accompanying the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, during road inspection in Otukpo, Benue State, said the ongoing rehabilitation of roads is aimed at boosting the agro business and strengthen unity among Nigeria.
Ogbeh while emphasising on road as the biggest means of transportation in Nigeria, revealed that the government was also planning to install refrigerator depot on roads powered by solar to preserve tomatoes and other perishables.
According to him, “The road is the major means of transportation of both people and goods in Nigeria, when farmers grow crops in the North which are needed in the South, some grow in the South needed in the North, the fastest and easier ways of moving these goods is by road, that is the reason why we are prioritising the road project to help in unite the country.
“People unite because they can reach each other, drive home often during festivity. If the roads are not there they cannot reach each other. Uniting the country is one the major things that can move the nation forward.
“The Loco-oweto bridge is very strategic for commerce, unification of Nigeria and industrial goods because things happen from the agriculture to industry from industry to manufacturing and so on.”
“Like the Agatu we visited earlier, when the project is completed, there is so much Fadama by the river side which will boost production of rice, beans, sorghum. These can actually be in bagged by the River Benue for reserve and move to south, Abuja or Kano.
“In last 34 months Nigeria has saved 21 billion dollar from importation of food and this is the figure from Central Bank of Nigeria. We are moving on and a day will come that we will say nearly 30 billion dollar and our target is to bring it to the lowest so that Naira can appreciate and instead of shipping money to other countries and we will now be the one exporting rice to them”, Chief Ogbeh said.
Addressing the press during the inspection, Fashola noted that the government was willing to confront the nation’s problems, including food and employment.
He said: “We have involved so many contractors. This means many people will benefit from the project; and that is how economy works, from construction, we also have to eat and Chief Ogbeh has been doing his best to ensure that we stop importing what we can produce.
“Everytime we import what we can produce locally, we are taking money out of this economy,” he said.
The minister who noted that Nigeria used to import about 5 million dollar worth of rice, which took money away from farmers, expressed hope that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has returned agribusiness back home and to farmers.
“From Benue, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Abia, among others. All the roads we are building are connected to the farms in these states. This Otukpo- Enugu road is a road to prosperity and create the jobs we desire,” he said.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works, Benue State, Mr Celestine Shausu, explained that the federal government has three projects in the zone, one of which is the rehabilitation of Otukpo road.
Shausu said:“The rehabilitation is in two phases. The phase one starts from Otukpo to Ugbokolo, which is 40km and already substantially completed. The second phase is 36km from Ugbokolo to Enugu State border. Though, we have just started work, but we have already covered 3km fully and contractors are still working.”
He added that the second project is the rehabilitation of Otukpo township road, which is in the two components as well.
“The second component is the rehabilitation from the General Hospital to Aliade. So far, the contractor has rehabilitated 7km.
“It has not been easy for the dualisation inside the town, we need to expand the road, which means we have to pay compensation. Fortunately, the Minister has given approval.
“We are expecting the contractor to release the money to the land department to pay. So the building that obstructed our way can be moved and we can continue with our expansion,” Shausu said.
