By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Thursday flagged off the construction of the N5.1billion Makurdi-Yogbo-Udei-Branch Udei road project.

The 55kilometer road runs through Makurdi communities from the main gate of Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering, NASME, and terminates in Guma Local Government Area, LGA.

Performing the flag off, Governor Ortom who recalled how communities on the stretch of road suffered repeated herdsmen attacks and the inability of security personnel to access the communities said the road would open up the area to ensure easy access and the protection of lives and property of the people.

He said “this project is a promise fulfilled. I made a promise to the people and communities on this stretch that I would open up the communities and construct the road.

“We know how terrorist Fulani herdsmen have made life unbearable for the people and because of lack of access road security personnel could not easily access the communities on this axis.

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“In fact several security personnel also lost their lives to the sustained attacks on communities in these areas by the terrorist who come into our country from countries like Senegal, Chad, Niger, Mauritania, Mali and other parts of Africa who are on a mission to take over our ancestral land.

“So, this 55 kilometers project is in fulfillment of the social contract that this government entered with the people. I urge the people to cooperate with the contractor who has already cleared 35 kilometers of the road, to ensure speedy completion of the project.”

The Governor who assured that his government would give the contractor all the necessary support to ensure timely completion of the project urged the contractor to adhere to the specification of the contract.

The Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Jude Uungwa who said the contract would span 24 months stressed that the contractor had been fully mobilized with assurances that work on the project would go on non-stop.

Earlier the Project Engineer of the contracting firm, Triacta Nigeria Ltd., Mr. George Doumit assured that the firm would diligently execute project.

Chiefs, stakeholders, and community leaders from Makurdi and Guma LGAs in their separate remarks commended the Governor for undertaking the project which they noted would aside ensuring improved security in communities on the axis would also bring development to their communities.

Vanguard News Nigeria