BY Favour Nnabugwu

JALINGO-Taraba State Governor, Dan Suntai Tuesday lamented threat of flood which had ravaged federal government bridges and highways in Taraba, saying however that the state has awarded N19.18 billion contract to repair federal roads in the area.

Suntai spoke when he briefed the Federal Ministry of Works officials on the bad state of federal highways in Taraba State.

He told the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen and the Minister of State in the ministry, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda that his government had salvaged some of their roads including the Jalingo-Garba-Chede road and Mararaba Bai-Isa Abong road which contracts were awarded for N12 billion and N7.18 billion respectively.

He said: ”We have several road networks in Taraba State which are called federal roads. Those roads have received a lot of attention as a result, we have had to go all out by way of giving support on the road between Jalingo and Garba Chede which we contracted to PW.

”We have decided to cover the Mararaba Bai Isa Abong road which is another federal road.

”Another one that is of great importance to us is the road linking Jalingo and the South Eastern road to Abuja. That road transverses through Kari but was recently cut off by flood.”

Governor Suntai commended the Ministry of Works for its quick response to the complaints of the state over bad federal roads.

In his response, Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, assured Suntai that the ministry would refund the expenses made by the Taraba State Government to rabilitate federal roads as along as the state followed the approved guidelines on repairs of such roads.