Open N2.2bn Tanke Bridge For Public Use, Group Urges Kwara Govt
Kwara Concerned Group has urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration to open General Tunde Idiagbon Flyover in Tanke, Ilorin for public use.
The Group made this call while addressing newsmen on the bridge also known as Tanke Bridge on Thursday.
According to them, lingering concerns surrounding the failure of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led Kwara State Government to commission for public use, the General Tunde Idiagbon Flyover here at Tanke, despite nearly three years passing since its conception. This unsettling situation has given rise to profound questions about transparency, due process, and the overall quality of work being conducted on this pivotal infrastructure project.
The statement read in part: “The Tanke Flyover project named after one of Kwaran’s most prominent heroes was set in motion on the 3rd of November 2021 through a cabinet resolution address to the public by Hajia Sa’adat Moddibo Kawu who was the then Commissioner for Tertiary Education, with the noble objective of easing traffic congestion and enhancing transportation infrastructure in the Ilorin metropolis especially, Tanke Tipper Garage which leads to the foremost University of Ilorin.
“Despite the mixed reactions from the public, with most people urging the government to reconsider its decision to construct the Flyover, there is a belief that expansion of the existing road would serve the area better and solve the supposed traffic challenge rather than a flyover.
“Some residents of the area have also appealed to the state government to prioritize fixing and opening up alternative routes within the axis, however, the contract for the construction of this flyover was awarded to a less-known local company, JMK Construction Company Limited, for a substantial sum of N2,272,899,200.00, with a completion timeline of 12 months.”
Kwara Concerned Group noted assurances by the immediate past and the incumbent Commissioners for Works, Engr. Rotimi Iliasu and Hon. Abdulqowiy Olododo, failing to materialize.
Adding that, “Damning accounts of substandard workmanship have surfaced online, and apprehensions have been expressed regarding the integrity of the structure once it is eventually opened to the public. All these were blatantly disregarded by the government through a series of propaganda and statements from the media arms of the State Government.”
They also implored the Kwara State Government to dismantle the structure if there are genuine safety apprehensions hinder the unveiling of the flyover.