LBRBA commends Governor Sule for excluding Langi Bridge from N9.6bn Wamba-Nasarawa Eggon road contract
The Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBA) have commended Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for his prudent and efficient management of public resources by refusing to include the Langi Bridge, currently under construction by the authority, as part of the N9.6bn Wamba-Langi-Alizaga Road recently awarded.
Managing Director of the LBRBA, Engineer Terse Ninga, laid the commendstion when he led the management of the authority on a courtesy visit at the Government House on Thursday.
According to Engineer Ninga, other governments would have awarded the contract based on the design, without first considering what features already existed on the road.
“Another government would have looked at the whole project and award the contract based on the design. No. You considered what features have been existing there, including the bridge that the authority is doing, facilitated by Senator Godiya Akwashiki of the National Assembly,” he said.
The LBRBA therefore commended Governor Sule for his prudence and efficient management of scarce resources belonging to the state.
The MD appreciated other government officials from the state, particularly Engr. Muhammed Sidi Sani, DG, Bureau for Rural Development for visiting the authority in order to synergize and collaborate with a view to avoiding repetition of projects by the authority and the Nasarawa State Government.
“The first thing that led us to this visit was a visit from the DG, Bureau for Rural Development. He visited us to see areas of collaboration. He observed that we are doing a lot of rural projects here and there is the need for him to know exactly what we are doing so that there will be synergy, so that there would be no repetition of projects.
“One critical area that drew my attention was the amount of money you spend in road construction, I said wow! Because it was less. You do the minimum. The projects show efficient management of capital resources. It is commendable,” he said.
He said the LBRBA was particularly concerned with the interest shown by the Bureau for Rural Development on the Wamba-Langi-Alizaga Road.
“They said they wanted to award the contract for that road, so there is need for collaboration seeing that that bridge is being constructed by the lower Benue. What is the status of the bridge and all the other projects that we are doing. We looked at it and told him that that bridge was captured in the 2025 appropriation as an ongoing project and it would be completed. All the columns have been set, it’s the beam that is remaining.
“He informed us that the contract for the road has been awarded leaving out that bridge. You didn’t take over the bridge and say you will complete it. This is prudent management of resources. As a team we are very happy with that,” he explained.
The LBRBA MD, assured Governor Sule that the authority will complete the bridge this year.
“We assure the Nasarawa State Government that that bridge will be completed this year as slated by the grace of God,” he added.
While commending the Governor for directly involving the state government in agriculture, with the cultivation of over 3000 hectares of rice in Awe Local Government Area, Engineer Terse said the new management of the LBRBA under him are poised and committed to revitalising irrigation agricultural in the four states making up the catchment area of the authority.
“Nasarawa State is the hub of the catchment area of the authority. We have a flagship programme here, the Doma Dam. The aim of the authority is to ensure that irrigation or dry season farming is doing well. Presently, particularly in the North Central, it is not up to speed yet. We want to tell you that our team is committed to ensuring that our mandate is fulfilled,” he said.
Engineer Terse stated further that his team are in Nasarawa State as part of the commitment by the new management of the LBRBA to revitalise the Doma Dam for irrigation agricultural for rice and fishery production.
He however, requested for improved security in the area surrounding the dam as the authority have through the years witnessed its assets vandalised mostly through pilfering.
Responding, Governor Abdullahi Sule appreciated the MD and his team for taking the time to visit Nasarawa State despite their short stay in office.
Governor Sule said when the MD mentioned the Wamba-Langi-Alizaga Road, he became interested because the road is located within his senatorial district.
“The biggest problem there is that there is too much politics. I keep telling people that I thank Senator Godiya Akwashiki for making the construction of the Langi Bridge possible. But he is not using his personal resources to do it. Possibly, he only sought for your support, and you came in and started.
“A lot of people in our area, they were thinking that you wanted to do the whole road. Some people even said that the road contract that I gave, you have already done 80 per cent of the job. I kept telling that no, you are only going to do the bridge,” he stated.
The Governor dismissed insinuations that the LBRBA have already executed 80 percent of the N9.6bn Wamba-Langi-Alizaga Road recently awarded by his administration.
“For somebody to say that we are giving the contract where 80 per cent of it has already been done by LBRBA is not true. Even the bridge that LBRBA is constructing is yet to reach 80 per cent completion, talk less of the entire road,” he said.
He explained that, in order to avoid the politics associated with such projects, his administration awarded the construction of the road from the side of Nasarawa Eggon, as well from the side of Wamba, with the two roads terminating at the Langi Bridge.
“I did that in order for you to take the credit for finishing the bridge. I know from the grapevine that what you have been allocated in the budget for that bridge is N500m. But N500m can not finish that bridge. Even if you get the money. If you finish it, you will be the best engineer I have ever come across. If you can finish it with N500m. I will come to that bridge and plead with COREN and NSE to give you a fellow of engineers.
“My fear is that if you ever get the N500m, but you don’t have it yet. If you get it, you will still have challenges of budgeting another, at least, N500m if not N1bn. If you are lucky, another N500m will finish the job. If you want to be realistic, another N1bn, to make it N1.5bn. That is what it will take to complete the project. Because none of the slaps are there. Because of the iron rods and cost of cement, minus labour, and other factors, those two along will require close to N1bn,” he added.
Governor Sule expressed concern that LBRBA may not be able to complete the bridge in time for the people of the area to begin to access the road.
“When you commit that you will finish it this year, if you get your N500m from your budget, that is why I said you have put yourself in a very big box. Because I am not sure whether you can do that. The bottom line is that I want you to do the best you can, and then we can work together. For the world to know that we thank you so much for initiating the work of the bridge, which was facilitated by our senator, but you are the owners of the contract,” he said.
The Governor expressed satisfaction that contrary to insinuations from some quarters, LBRBA that is the contractor handling the project said they are working hard to complete the Langi Bridge.
“As owners of the contract, you are saying you are working so hard to finish the bridge, and somebody is saying that you have finished 80 per cent of the road. That does not make any sense,” he said.
Governor Sule appreciated the LBRBA for its decision to revitalise irrigation farming at the Doma Dam, adding that his administration would partner and collaborate with the authority.
He assured of improved security in the area, especially with the relocation of the training school for the Nigerian Army Special Forces to Doma, with the Chief of Army Staff visiting Nasarawa State tomorrow for the groundbreaking for the training school.
According to the Governor, the decision of his administration to venture into agriculture with the cultivation of over 3000 hecatres of land for rice was to lead by example in order for the people of the state to also emulate in order to enhance food production in the state.
“If you want to teach something to somebody, do it yourself first. If people see it that you are doing it then they will see the good in it. We took it seriously. When we said 2000 hectares, a lot of people said 2000 is not a big deal. 2000 is a lot of land. With 2000 hecatres of land, if you can see the amount of rice you can get from that area. You can easily get close to 8000 tons depending on the yield,” he said.
The Governor equally commended the DG, Bureau for Rural Development, Engineer Muhammed Sidi Sani for initiating the visit to the LBRBA.
Among top government functionaries present during the interaction include, the Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, Hon Aga Muluku, Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr. John Mamman, Commissioner for Education, as well as the Rector, Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic, Associate Professor Nurudeen Maifata.
