Lawmaker launches 57.2km road Construction in Kogi’s Yagba LG

Rep Leke Abejide, Member of the House of Representatives for Yagba Federal Constituency, yesterday performed the groundbreaking of the 57.2-kilometre road construction from Igbagun to Ijowa in Yagba East Local Government Area, Kogi State.

The flag-off ceremony, attended by the Secretary to the Kogi State Government (SSG), Dr. Folashade Ayoade; Yagba East Council Chairman, Hon. Joshua Dare Monday; state and local government officials; and traditional rulers, among others, was held in Igbagun, the starting point of the project.

According to the lawmaker, the road stretch, designed to be constructed with asphalt, will pass through 10 communities and open up the economies of 15 communities. The project is expected to last about 30 years once completed.

The project, funded by the federal government and embedded in the 2025 budget at a cost of N60 billion, was facilitated by Abejide.

The areas to be covered include Igbagun, Alu, Oranre, Ife-Olukotun, Ponyon, Agimi, Jege, Ejuku, Imela, Takete-Ishao, and Ijowa-Isanlu communities.

“Until I won my first-term election in 2019, the road from Omuo-Oke to Igbagun was impassable, but today it is history. Today, I am also flagging off this road for construction. This road is 57.2 kilometres, so it is not child’s play but indeed a legacy project that, by God’s grace, when completed, will open up the economy of 15 communities. The road has never been asphalted before. This is going to be the first time. Long ago, surface dressing was done on the road during the time of former Governor Ibrahim Idris. Once done according to certification, we should not be thinking of road construction (on the same road) for 30 years—at most, maintenance,” he said.

“The project is going to take us about three to four years because it is a long stretch. And due to the huge cost implications, based on today’s realities, the estimated cost of the project is about N60 billion.”

Responding to questions from journalists, he said the project is federally funded. However, he noted that not only was the project facilitated by him, but he also ensured it was captured in the budget and that funds were provided for execution.

“Last year, it was in the budget, but the money there was not enough. Last year, 2024, we got N5.2 billion, but this year, we got N15 billion. That’s about N20.2 billion. It can go a long way out of the N60 billion budgeted for. Hopefully, in three years, we will get there,” he said.

“My sincere appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for touching our lives, especially in our locality. The Ejuku township road is the most difficult to pass through. I tried to rehabilitate the road two years ago, but due to financial constraints, the target was not met. This time, the 5.2km stretch of Ejuku township road will be flagged off to reduce the stretch of Igbagun-Ijowa construction to about 52.2 kilometres so that the road can be completed in record time.

“In December 2024, we flagged off Isanlu town hall road, and the work is in progress. By April 2025, the road will be commissioned. We have more road projects in Yagba West, especially the Odo Ere-Igbaruku-Omi-Odo-Ara-Ogga-Ogbom road through Jege, which has been captured in the 2025 budget and is set to cost about N4 billion. The Ogbe to Egbe road will be properly bulldozed and compacted at the appropriate time, while the Egbe-Okoloke-Isanlu-Esa-Okunran road is another major construction project that requires proper attention for complete construction, not just maintenance. In Mopamuro, the Okeagi-Ilai and Orokere-Takete-Ide roads will be looked into to determine the actual kilometres and plan for them. These are projects that will take years to be completed; therefore, I appeal to political merchants to allow me to concentrate on what I know best, which is superlative performance in delivering the dividends of democracy to the good people of Yagba Federal Constituency.”

He appealed to his constituents to downplay the politics of 2027, allowing him to focus on delivering the dividends of democracy to them, halfway through his current term in the Green Chamber. Specifically, he admonished those he referred to as “political merchants” to redirect their energies to more profitable ventures and stop distracting him with the 2027 election in 2025.

He said, “My focus during this second term is how to connect roads, especially those that link communities, while rural roads will only be bulldozed and graded, possibly with surface dressing. I, therefore, appeal to political merchants to engage in productive activities rather than bringing distractions. My politics is rooted in how to make life better for the people of Yagba Federal Constituency, not for personal aggrandizement, as they see politics. When the time comes to play politics, we shall play it to the admiration of everybody.”