From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
Residents and motorists plying the Ikara-Sayasa-Pala inter-State road have applauded the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani for kick-starting the construction of the Ikara-Sayasa-Pala road that will link Ikara and Kubau Local Government Areas of the State with neighboring Kano State.
This is just as they urged the government to hasten the construction to alleviate the daily hardship they experience plying the road.
The residents who spoke with our correspondent during an assessment tour of the project by the Managing Director Kaduna State Road Agency (KADRA), Dr. Abdullahi Baba, expressed their optimism that the road if constructed, would also foster economic development in the area and paved ways for inter-State trading.
A motorist who identified himself as Lazarus Timothy appreciated the state governor, Uba Sani, for kick-starting the road construction.
He urged the government not to delay in completing the construction as such had been the usual rhetoric concerning the road.
“This is a dream come true for us. The road has been in such a bad state for years.
“We are grateful for the government’s commitment to improving our lives. We hope that the construction will not linger too long to alleviate us of the daily hardship encountered on this road.
“We also hope that this will not be a lip promise as we have always had in the past with many unfulfilled promises,” he said.
Another motorist, Alhaji Tuduwada Dan Kaji, said the former condition of the road has negatively impacted businesses and many others in Ikara, Kubau, and neighboring Kano State.
The poor infrastructure, according to him, has made it difficult for farmers to reach local customers to purchase their products.
He expressed delight that the road construction will significantly improve access to this community and boost the local economy.
” I am so excited to hear that the Kaduna State Government under the leadership of Senator Uba Sani has kicked start the road construction
“The road has been in a terrible state for years, making my journey stressful and time-consuming. I can’t wait to see the positive impact this project will have on our community,” he said
Speaking to Media during the inspection tour the Managing Director of KADRA, Dr. Abdullahi Baba Ahmed, opined that the Ikara -Sayasa- Pala road is very important because it is an inter-state road that connects to Kano.
According to him, the road that links Ikara and Kubau LGA, when completed, will allow heavy-duty trucks to transport produce from the farm to the market via this road.
“We are very impressed with the performance of the Contractor and the level of work.
“The quality and the performance of work by the contractor is commendable.
“The road is a 31.5km road from Ikara to Kubau LGA. It passes through different LGAs in Kaduna to Kano.
“The Government is committed and no payment is owed. So the contractor is fully mobilized to the site.
“They don’t have any financial excuse and that is why the Government is up and doing in terms of payment to the contractor.
“Within the next six months, we are expecting the Contractor to vacate this site after 100 percent completion.”
Dr. Dr. Abdullahi Baba Ahmed advised contractors handling its road projects to ensure strict compliance to quality and standards.
He says the government will continue to emphasize conformance to Quality Assurance and Control standards in road construction and rehabilitation within the State by grouping Contractors into different categories depending on the technical ability and the precision of delivery on projects.
The Managing Director warned contractors handling construction projects to desist from executing shoddy jobs for the state.
He reiterated that the Uba Sani-led administration had stated several times that it had zero tolerance for shoddy jobs.
