By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has expressed satisfaction with the resumption of work on the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria road project.
The state government also appealed to the Federal Ministry of Works to expedite the completion of the project to improve security of motorists that are plying the road.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe made the request during a courtesy visit by the Minister for Works, Mr. David Umahi at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
Dr. Balarabe, on behalf of the government and people of the state appealed to her guest to also consider, and ensure completion of the Eastern Bypass which was commenced in 2002, reviewed in 2017 and had a completion dateline of 2021.
“Mr Minister, that road provides an alternate route for commuters passing through Kaduna from the Southern states and Abuja, thus reducing pressure on Kaduna township roads as well as save travel time for travellers,” Balarabe said.
She also congratulated the minister on his well-deserved appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to oversee the Ministry of Works and Housing.
Dr Balarabe described the appointment as a testament of the trust and confidence the President has on Engineer Umahi as adjudged by his sterling performance in Ebonyi State, as Governor.
Earlier, Engr. Umahi disclosed that his visit to Kaduna was in line with presidential directive to tour all senatorial districts and assess the status of ongoing road projects.
He emphasized that their presence in the state is a testament to the importance the president attached to the region.
“President Tinubu Ahmed instructed me to personally inspect this project and report directly back to him, which is why we are here. He issued the same directive for the Abuja-Kaduna road, where we were present on Tuesday.
“Yesterday, we had a meeting with the South West contractors. Tomorrow, we will have a meeting with all the contractors working in the North West region. On Saturday, we’ll focus on North Central, and on Sunday, we’ll turn our attention to another region,” Umahi stated.
The Minister however commended the Kaduna State Government for its people-centered policies, noting that despite being relatively new, the government has already made significant achievements in many sectors.
“We are very confident in Kaduna State. My big brother El-rufai has done quite a lot. I am very confident that the new governor will further improve Kaduna State based on how he has handled it so far,” he stated.