Ododo Do Your Roads For Kogi Has The Rocks They Sell For Road Construction, Yet Own The Worst Roads

Greg Abolo February 20, 2025 0 Comments

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The Oasis Reporters

February 20, 2025

One of the States in Nigeria that has one of the worst roads network, is Kogi in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. It seems to be in the same league with neighboring Benue, one of the States that Kogi was carved out from and created in August 1991.

Kogi state was actually created from parts of the old Benue and Kwara States.

Ironically, Prince Abubakar Audu who was born on 27 October 1947, to the family of his Royal Highness, the late Pa Audu Oyidi, Orego Atta of Igala Land and the paramount ruler of Ogbonicha-Alloma in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State was once appointed as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in the old Benue state. He served in this capacity until 1988 when the cabinet was dissolved but Audu’s public service actually began in 1986.

Most citizens of the then Benue State were unhappy with the state of development under perpetual leadership of just one ethnic group, the majority Tiv.

The Kogi axis continued to bemoan the state of infrastructural development in their part of the state. They had no good roads in Igalaland and Abubakar Audu became one of the champions that agitated for the creation of Kogi State that would have the Igala ethnic group in the majority. There were high hopes when Kogi State was created and Prince Abubakar Audu emerged as it’s first civilian governor.

*Prince Abubakar Audu was the first governor of Kogi State in a democratic setting.*

This coincided with one of Nigeria’s many previous encounters with democracy, and Audu, being part of those who had advocated for the creation of the state and a notable son of the soil, was invited to contest for governorship.

He contested on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC) and won the election held in November, 1991. He was subsequently sworn in as the first executive governor of Kogi state in January 1992.

In 1998, democracy was again re-introduced and Audu, now with the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), was elected again with over 700,000 votes. He was sworn in on 29 May 1999, during the 1999 Kogi State gubernatorial election as the 2nd Executive Governor of Kogi State.

When Audu left office in 2003, he was charged by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with corruption. This case was on for twelve years and many said it was coined as an attempt by the then ruling PDP to smear Audu’s image, especially in light of the achievements recorded during his tenure.

He responded to these allegations, stating that while he was governor, the state received less than N400 million as monthly allocation, and that it would have been impossible to embezzle the N12 billion that the agency claims he did when he received less than N19 billion in total, yet embarked on many projects.

But Kogi State is well endowed with natural resources including very many visible rocks. There’s limestone hence cement producing companies scramble to get in there and join the cement producing armada. Dangote cement is notable there. And there is also iron ore, hence Ajaokuta Steel Mills was sited there. Therefore the state is wealthy in resources that earn it huge internally generated revenue (IGP). No major figures appear to be readily available as regards what Kogi State earns from internally generated revenue.

All major construction firms like Dantata and Sawoe, Julius Berger Plc and several others often scramble there every day with trailers and tippers to purchase rocks and other minerals used for road construction.

This is why it is an irony that the state which collects so much taxes from rock and quarry firms, both indigenous and foreign, ensuring that Roads and bridges are constructed, from Delta to Kano states and all other states in the federation that do not have rocks to blast go to buy for construction in their states.

The construction industry in Nigeria is in several trillions of naira on an annual basis. Cement producing companies declare hundreds of billions in turnover within months.

Yet, travel on Kogi roads is an outright torture in most parts.

It left parts of Kwara and Benue States due to what it called lack of roads within it’s boundaries due to tribal based leadership especially in Benue where only the Tiv can be governor most of the time except for just perhaps one or two occasions.

In Kogi, where it not for the sudden demise of Alhaji Abubakar Audu on the verge of his becoming governor again for a third time that enabled the gubernatorial seat to slip into the hands of the Igbirra ethnic group, only the Igalas used to be elected as governor.

Yet, travel in Igala Land especially from Anyingba the State University town aptly called Prince Abubakar Audu University that also hosts the University Teaching Hospital, road civilization ends right at the southernmost boundary of Anyingba.

Prince Abubakar Audu University Teaching Hospital, Anyingba. Even ambulances dread to visit the neighboring town of Ankpa to evacuate patients because of the death traps nature of of the road.

Drive on to the next town of Ankpa all in the same Igala speaking region and on on on unto Otukpo in Benue State, the road network is pure torture. Traveling on the road can make one puke. Dusty and bumpy, such that cars that ply too much on that road can easily fall apart due to the effects of bad road network.

Governor Usman Ododo can make a difference. Since roads and bridges construction materials are superabundantly available within the state, even local contractors with commitments to good works can make a difference. They can be paid with some of the natural resources abundantly found in the state. That is if there is no cash in the treasury.