Law maker, gov in war of words over constituency project

Niger state Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello and the Senator David Umaru at logger heads over constituency project. Governor Bello, has ordered contractors handling the rehabilitation of 750 metre street project to stop further work on the project which was facilitated by the senator representing the Niger East senatorial district.

Daily Times was reliably informed that the constituency project identified as Piggery road rehabilitation was awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport and placed under the supervision of the federal controller Housing, Engineer Felix Appah.

Also, the paper gathered that the contractor mobilized on site and has done over 40 percent of the federal government sustainable development project with a life span of two weeks execution period, before officials of the state ministry of works showed up on Wednesday with a stop work order.

Investigation has revealed that the Permanent Secretary of the state ministry of works, Umar Bawa, in a letter dated 2nd May 2018 addressed to the Federal Controller of Housing complained that the federal government was involved in the road project without prior approval from the state government and requested work to stop immediately.

It reliably gathered that the controller responded with two letters in which he formally informed the state government of the particulars of the constituency project regretting the oversight in communication gap.

However, these official explanatory letters were said to have been ignored by the state government who has insisted on enforcing the stop work order.

However, the youths and residents of the area have condemned the government action arguing that stopping the project was tantamount to denying them access to development.

The youths leader, Mohammed Bala who spoke with our reporter that the road has become impassable before Senator Umaru came to the rescue, adding that “we were very happy that work on the road has started at last but we are today disturbed and sad that the (state) government who had abandoned us for 20 years has come to stop the work.”

However, in his reaction, Senator David Umaru berated the government for stopping the constituency project meant to benefit the residents of the area.

According to him, “I am surprised that the state government that is talking about developing the state appeared to be development shy. I am yet to come to terms with the brazen attack by the government on this road development coming to the state. However, let me state categorically say that the state government does not have powers to stop the work”.

The lawmaker accused the administration of Governor Sani Bello for playing bitter politics with the constituency project that was initiated to benefit the community, while there were several other roads in Minna city begging for government attention.

“The road belongs to the people and not the state government. In any case this is the second time the government is obstructing and preventing me from rehabilitating the road in recent years despite the fact that it has abandoned the road for almost 20 years” he said.

The lawmaker who described as very unfortunate stated that the administration had also stopped a similar work on Sarkin Kurmi road also known as Jubilee street in Suleja area of the state adding that, “as I speak with you now the government has abandoned the road. I am afraid that same fate would befall this piggery road if the government succeeds in stopping the project.”

Attempt to speak with the state officials did not yield any result, as neither the permanent secretary nor the commissioner of works Alhaji Ibrahim Balarebi were available to respond. The latter was aid to have gone out of town for official assignment.