Residents of Otutulu and surrounding farming communities in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State have described the ongoing construction of the Iyale–Ogane-Enugu road as the fulfilment of prayers offered by their forefathers.

The community said the project is ending decades of isolation and opening up agrarian communities to economic opportunities.

The commendation came on Tuesday as the Presidential Media Tour of Projects, organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team, inspected the road project alongside other infrastructure executed by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking during the inspection, an indigene of Otutulu, Amodu Joseph Silvas, said generations of residents had long yearned for the construction of the road, which serves several farming settlements in the area.

According to him, the poor condition of the road had over the years hindered the evacuation of farm produce and subjected motorists and residents to untold hardship.

“This road has been a prayer by our forefathers. Unfortunately, many of them are not alive to witness what we are seeing today. It is a thing of joy for our people because government remembered us,” he said.

Silvas said previous political office seekers had repeatedly promised to rehabilitate the road without fulfilling their pledges, adding that the intervention by the Ododo administration had restored the community’s confidence in government.

He noted that what made the project even more remarkable was that previous leaders from the community’s own ethnic group had repeatedly promised to construct the road without fulfilling their pledges.

“Many people, including those from our own tribe who sought this office, promised to build this road but never did. Governor Ododo, who is from another tribe and hardly knew much about our community, chose to remember us. That is why we appreciate what he has done,” he said.

Silvas also commended President Tinubu for creating the enabling environment that made the project possible.

“We are grateful to President Tinubu for supporting the governor. We also appreciate Governor Ododo for using the resources available to him to remember communities like ours. Some governors receive funds but do not use them for projects that directly benefit the people,” he added.

Earlier, the Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Timothy Ojoma, said the road was strategically designed to connect farming communities and improve the movement of agricultural produce from the hinterlands to markets.

He explained that the first phase of the project stretches from Iyale to Ogane-Enugu, covering more than 11 kilometres, while the broader road network is expected to extend to about 60 kilometres across the area.

Ojoma described Dekina as one of Nigeria’s largest local government areas, noting that opening up its rural communities would significantly boost agricultural production and rural development.

He said the road traverses previously inaccessible terrain and would improve the livelihoods of farmers whose produce often perished because of poor transportation.

Without reliable roads, he noted, farmers were unable to transport their harvests to markets, leading to losses and discouraging agricultural activities.

The commissioner also said the Ododo administration had prioritised security across the state, recalling that Ogane-Enugu was once considered a security flashpoint.

According to him, rapid security interventions by the state government have restored confidence in communities, making farming and other economic activities safer.

Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the ongoing media tour had demonstrated the Kogi State Government’s commitment to rural development.

He noted that the projects inspected since the tour began had shown deliberate investments in rural roads, healthcare and education.

Ajayi attributed the increased capacity of states to undertake major infrastructure projects to the fiscal reforms introduced by President Tinubu.

 “We have seen the synergy between the Federal Government and the states delivering value to Nigerians. Governors now have greater fiscal capacity to fund critical infrastructure and social services, and Kogi is one of the states demonstrating that,” he said.

He added that taking development directly to farming communities would not only improve livelihoods but also strengthen food production and economic growth.

The Presidential Media Tour, which entered its fourth day in Kogi on Tuesday, is aimed at showcasing projects being executed by the Federal Government and state governments under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

It has featured inspections of roads, schools, healthcare facilities and other infrastructure across the state.