Gwagwalada-Dobi-Izom road remains uncompleted, 6yrs after

The Dobi-Izom -Paikon-Kore road in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has remained uncompleted six years after it was started.  Aso Chronicle investigations revealed that the road project was awarded by  former FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, to an indigenous construction company, Ndubueze Engineering Company Limited at the cost of N1.6 billion […]

The Dobi-Izom -Paikon-Kore road in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has remained uncompleted six years after it was started. 

Aso Chronicle investigations revealed that the road project was awarded by  former FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, to an indigenous construction company, Ndubueze Engineering Company Limited at the cost of N1.6 billion on December 7, 2010.

It was revealed that the sum of N779 million out of the N1.6 billion was paid to the company handling the road project. 

This was revealed during a media tour in company of the STDA engineer, Ibrahim Kangiwa, to inspect the Dobi-Izom road project in 2012.

Our reporter who visited the site recently many residents of the communities along the road such as Tsauni, Paikon-Kore, Dobi, Yimi, Ibwa, Dada-Gbiri and Dutse express their dismay over the slow pace of work on the project. 

The district head of Dobi community, Ahaji Sule Dobi, who spoke with Aso Chronicle, noted that the Dobi-Izom road which links to Niger State was first constructed durting the administration of former president Shehu Shagari.

He said since then, no rehabilitation work has been carried out on the road. He said the major challenge faced by motorists and people of the area is the delay in completing the road project.

“At least, if the Dobi-Izom road which links Niger State is completed, it will not only facilitate movement of farmer’s crops to the market, but it will reduce traffic congestion on the highway. Like in those days, people who were travelling from the east usually passed through this road instead of Zuba-Suleja road because of heavy traffic jam,” the chief said.  

Aso Chronicle which revisited the Gwagwalada-Dobi-Izom road on Saturday, observed that a grader and a bulldozer were seen by the road side, while a resident who identified himself as Musa, said the contractor returned to the site last week and did some earth work.

“I can say the only work the contractor has done over the week was leveling of laterite on the remaining section. That was the only work they have done so far, ‘’ he said.   

Another resident of Paikon-Kore community, Joshua Musa, said since the road project was awarded over six years ago, the company has only been able to rehabilitate up to four kilometres.

“The major work the contractor has done is the asphalting, after the hill down to GSS Dobi, which is just four kilometres. So one doesn’t know if that is the only section that was awarded to the company,” he said.   

Another resident of Dobi community, Ishaya Bako, also expressed worry that the slow pace of work on the road may pose serious hardships to residents of the communities along the road, especially motorists who come to Dobi market to carry yam to the city.

“I am seriously worried over the progress of work on the Gwagwalada-Dobi-Izom road, especially as rainy season will soon set in and the road will become worse.”

Other residents who spoke with Aso Chronicle, urged the present FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, to give priority to the road project, as they observed that the rehabilitation of the road down to Izom will enhance socio-economic activities in the area.

But the resident engineer of the Satellite Town Development Agency (STDA) Ibrahim Kangiwa, while fielding questions from journalists during that year’s media tour of  the project, had attributed the delay of the completion of the Gwagwalada-Dobi-Izom project to lack of funds for the contractors to work with, disclosing that the initial amount given to the contractor was N779million out of N1.6bn.

Kangiwa, had said that the next segment for the completion of the road will be from Dobi to Izom, which he said they have done a lot of culverts and stone base work, that what remained for the road to be completed was the asphalt that needed to be put on the road for it to be ready.

Reacting, the Director of Satellite Towns Development Agency (STDA), Architect Victoria Imande, said payment of funds to the contractor handling the road project was  delayed, which slowed down work.

She said, “But this time around they were paid and they have returned to site that is why they are working on that culvert and also dressing that stretch of the road so that they will asphalt it and put in for another certificate.” 

She said the road was 27 kilometres but only seven  were asphalted so far.

“There is no need working on the whole stretch when the money you have is limited. So what they have done is they picked the 8.2 kilometres and worked on it , prepared it and asphalted 7 kilometres and they are about asphaltng the 1.2 kilometres that is outstanding out of the 8.2 kilometres,” she said. 

She said there was now commitment to complete most of the major roads in the FCT.