The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has said that the ultimate objective of the expansion of the Abuja- Keffi Expressway was to ultimately reduce traffic congestion and travel time for commuters.
Fashola, who disclosed this while inspecting the expansion of the Abuja-Keffi, Akwanga -Makurdi Expressway, on Tuesday, stated that the road would be built to international standard.
“It will be built to the quality of any road built in any country or other parts of the world. It will be a place where you’ll love to commute.
“Ultimately, the purpose is to make life better for those who use that axis, to reduce the travel time and to reduce the congestion around there.
“That is essentially what we hope to achieve and believe me you will see when it’s all done that it will make all the sacrifice worth while.” Fashola said.
He said the residents of Mararaba -Nyanya would soon see that all the sacrifices they had to endure would be worthwhile, citing the Abuja Keffi Expressway as having attained 45.8 per cent completion.
The minister also inspected the over 260 km Keffi -Akwanga -Lafia – Makurdi highway project.
“The main purpose of the Akwanga to Makurdi highway, which we started about two years ago, and is one of the roads being funded with the China EximBank loan, is very critical and strategic for linking the North Central to the North East, and from there to other parts of the country.
“For those who have issues about borrowing they can come and see what the borrowing is being used for; all of the people who are working here would probably not have this job without that borrowing.
“Because we have a lot to do, we don’t have enough to do them at the same time. So this is part of the dualisation project construction of a brand new highway to complement the existing one.
“And the Reconstruction of the existing one . You will also see the diversions this is how we build. We can’t close up the road, we can’t construct almost 300-km of highway at once so we do it in sections. “He said, while announcing that the project was billed for completion within three years.
“It is for three years we have done two years and there are no challenges of any significance to the funding. The counterpart side of it is still a matter for budget, so, if we don’t put our part we won’t get the 85 percent.
“But that is not the conversation of the moment because in a real life situation when you design a road there are challenges.
“You want to pass through people’s land you have to meet them, you have to agree with them, you have to explain to them, these are all the governance protocols around the world about finding international projects.
The minister said all these has to be taken into Consideration otherwise the civil society organisations would access see the government of treating it’s citizens badly.
On the importance of the highway, Fashola said it was very critical and strategic highway for linking the north Central to the north east And from there to other parts of the country.
