By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has flagged off the construction of $60 million Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects, RAAMP intervention road projects in the state.
The governor, at the flag-off in Alapa community in Asa local government area of the state, said that he paid the N400 million counterpart fund to attract intervention of the RAAMP in the state.
The governor who was represented at the occasion by his deputy, Kayode Alabi, said that the government cannot lay claim to promote food security or seek investment into the state when the roads are in bad shape adding that this was the reason he committed the huge resources into seeking partnership with international agencies.
“Our administration has so far paid N400 million counterpart fund for the RAAMP to make these interventions possible. I commend the World Bank and the international donor agencies for their support.
“We cannot claim to promote food security or seek investment from outside when the roads are in bad shape. We cannot seek brighter future for future generations when our schools and other enabling infrastructure are in shambles,” he stated.
The governor expressed appreciation to all sponsors and donor agencies as well as the ministry of works and transport, the state project monitoring committee (SPMC) and the state project implementation unit for their hard work and commitment.
Earlier, the Project coordinator, RAAMP, Kwara State, Engineer Akorede Abduwahab Agboola, in his address commended the administration of Governor AbdulRazaq for scoring a first among the 13 states involved in RAAMP across the nation by being the first to flag of the construction project.
He said that the flag off of the first 5.2km road in Alapa would in no small way help in reducing post harvest losses, expose farmers to international trade, and eliminate middlemen as well as improving the total economy of the rural areas and the state in general.
In his goodwill message, the National Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. Aminu B. Mohammed, commended Kwara for being the first state to initiate the flag off of rural road construction under the RAAMP assisted initiative.
He said the feat will put Kwara ahead of other states of the federation at least the first among the 13 participant states enjoying the RAAMP assistance.
The Speaker Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr Yakub Saliu Danladi, who disclosed that he was very glad with the timing of the flag off said the road construction would also benefit him because he passes through Alapa to his own constituency.
He hailed the action of the governor as being in tandem with his promise to ensure that the people of Kwara reap the dividends of democracy as promised during his campaigns.