Borno Governor launches N550m construction equipment for LG highway

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday launched 15 heavy-duty construction equipment worth N550 million for construction of a highway from Ngala to Kala-Balge local government areas through Rann in northern part of the state.

The equipment includes sets of heavy lifting cranes, graders, excavators, tar boilers, bulldozers, smooth, steel and pneumatic rollers, shift foot compactors, water tankers and hundreds of spare parts, all recently acquired by the Borno State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA).

Shettima described communities in Kala-Balge as the most marginalised of the 774 local government areas in the country. He said the geographic location of the local government along the shores of the Lake Chad with difficult topography had made successive governments in the state to neglect the council, reducing the area to a near outcast. The governor noted that due to lack of roads, it was impossible to access many communities in Kala-Balge during the rainy season. This he said, not only threatens socio-economic mobility but also makes the council vulnerable to security hostage situation.

Governor Shettima directed BORMA to immediately deploy the equipment to focus on completing the road within the year. He also promised to liaise with security agencies to get military collaboration to support deployments and construction works.

The agency’s chairman, Engineer Satomi, told Shettima to expect the completion of all earthworks within the next five months after which the roads would be tarred. He promised to deliver the road before the end of his tenure in May 2019.

Credit: Daily Trust