By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has said that completion of the 1.8km Loko -Oweto Bridge in Nasarawa and Benue States will boost economic activities in Nigeria.
He said this during an inspection tour of the bridge construction site over the weekend.
According to Fashola, the Loko- Oweto Bridge being a major strategic transport road connecting the Northern part of the country and all those coming from the Eastern part would develop into a vital economic route inclusive of transportation of agricultural produce.
Fashola also said that the Oweto part of the bridge is in Benue state while Loko is in Nasarawa state, noting that the bridge would reduce the long hours that were normally spent on journeys from the East to the Federal Capital as well as the Northern part of the country.
“This is a major impact on business reducing the cost of time and improving the ease of doing business,” Fashola said.
This was contained in a statement signed Stephen Kilebi Deputy Director Press stated that Fashola said street lighting was a feature added to the bridge.
He mentioned that the Ministry had to ensure the communities were connected to electricity for it to achieve the street lighting of the bridge, saying it has given the communities the privilege of enjoying electricity which they had lacked before the intervention on the road and bridge began.
Consequently,Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, urged the
Managing Director of Messrs Reynolds Construction Company Nigeria Limited
(RCC), Nabeel Esawi, to employ a method that would fast track the completion
and timely delivery of the link roads between Loko and Oweto to the bridge.
On behalf of the Loko community, the Emir of Loko, Alhaji Ahmed Sabo Umar, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria for the construction of the bridge and road network.
He said that the bridge would enable his subjects to transport their farm produce safely to other communities as against paddling of canoes which was hazardous to their lives previously.
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