The Nasarawa State Government has said that it was shifting attention to linking roads from satellite towns to major towns after the construction of Flyovers and underpasses in Lafia, Akwanga and Mararaba-Karu to ease movement within the state capital and other urban centres in the state.
Nasarawa state commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Tanko Ibrahim, stated this when speaking in an exclusive interview with New Telegraph on Monday in Lafia, said construction of link roads aims to connect semi-urban centres, to major towns, and to the state capital to ease movement within and around the state.
He said that the strides recorded by the governor Abdullahi Sule administration so far, particularly in the areas of road infrastructure, agriculture, security, education, health, rural development and human capital development, are in fulfilment of the promises he made to the people of the state during campaigns.
“And he has said it earlier when he came in 2019, I want to leave Nasarawa state better than I met it. And you can see the changes. You can see the flyover at Keffi, Akwanga underpass, Lafia Flyover and Underpass, then the new state secretariat in Lafia, one of the biggest in the country, and you have also seen not only roads he is now linking communities and semi-urban centres to major towns to ease movement. His Excellency is linking roads.
“When I say linking roads, when you leave Lafia, the state capital way to Assakyio, there is a road that links Ombi. There is a road that links behind the Lafia local government to the Federal University of Lafia. At Kwandere, there is a road that links to Kokona and Keffi. And there are so many roads that link different parts of the state to local government headquarters and communities across the state.
“We are not talking about big roads; we are talking about linking roads. If you leave Wamba, there is an exit road that links you to Nasarawa Eggon. There is another road that links Andaha to Akwanga.
“There is a road that links you to General Hospital in Akwanga, which is now a specialist hospital. So we are now linking roads. That is exceeding all expectations. And His Excellency earlier said that he wants to leave Nasarawa state better than he met it. So this is physical. These are visible achievements.
“Just about a week ago, His Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi A. Sule, performed the groundbreaking of 2. 6kilometer Mararaba-Karu flyover worth N39billion, and 50 per cent of the money has already been paid.
“There is going to be a twin flyover, and there is going to be a run-over around Abacha road and then around the market at Mararaba. All these are deliberate efforts to decongest traffic” Tanko said.
Dr Ibrahim said that besides the provision of road infrastructure, the governor Abdullahi Sule administration has prioritised agriculture through huge annual budgetary provision for the sector, provision of farm inputs and cultivation of the 2, 300 hectares of state government rice farm at Jangwa-Agwayashi and many other interventions to promote agribusiness in the state.
According to him, the state government has processed the rice from the Jangwa farm into finished product with a brand name called NASACCO, saying NASACCO rice would be launched on December 17.
“We have our agricultural farm at Jangwa. We have cultivated 2,300 hectares out of the 2,000 hectares of land. We have already harvested over 600 bags.
“Our target is 1.2million bags in this year’s harvest, and we have produced our rice, and the name of our rice is NASACCO Rice. NASACCO rice will be launched on December 17. The governor introduced the government rice to us during the State Executive Council meeting two weeks ago.
