Inflation and cost of materials are posing threats to the road projects recently awarded by the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, across the 20 local councils.
Mohammed had disclosed, last year, that he borrowed N100 billion to award critical road projects across the state and had expended almost everything. Early this month, he spent a week flagging off road projects across the state.
The projects, according to the government, include two flyover bridges within Bauchi metropolis, spread across the rural and urban communities. But during his opening remarks at the State Executive Council (SEC) emergency meeting, yesterday, Mohammed lamented that inflation and food insecurity, which he said were exacerbating the hardship.
He said: “I called this meeting because it’s almost an emergency; there is hunger and anger, and the common man does not differentiate between the federal and the state governments’ responsibilities. It is not easy to just pass the buck and say it is the Federal Government’s responsibility –it is our collective responsibility.”
“I don’t normally believe in blame games. As a state, we should try to show good governance in doing things better. I think there is a problem and the economy is bad; it is almost a free fall for the naira. Most of our postulations and forecasts, economically, have been put in jeopardy because we may not be able to do all within the timeline.”
Mohammed cited the high cost of cement and other materials, adding: “The best we can do as a government is to make sure that we pay salaries and wages, though they are grossly not enough to put food on the table.” He charged the council members to begin scouting for a lasting solution, saying “it is almost time for an emergency and we really need to do something.”
