Ododo flags off 37km Idah to Ibaji road with six bridges in Kogi

Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has flagged off construction of the 37-kilometre Ejule to Ojeba to Unale to Onyedega road, which links Idah Local Government Area to the headquarters of Ibaji Local Government Area.

The work is expected to take 30 months. A representative of the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Limited, Henry Shuo, said the project includes a carriageway about 10.3 metres wide and six new bridges.

Works Commissioner Momoh Salami Ozigi said the road has been a major problem for residents for more than two decades, hampering transport, farming and healthcare, with flooding and failed sections cutting off communities in the rainy season.

Ododo said some people had asked why work had not started sooner. "Governance is not a magic show," he said, explaining that the administration needed time for due diligence. He said political differences would not decide where projects are sited. "Even if you hate Ododo, please love development," he said.

The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for his reforms and federal support, and urged the contractor to deliver quality work to the approved specifications.