Plateau residents lament as abandoned projects litter communities

Concerns are growing in Plateau State over abandoned projects that litter communities across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

Arewa PUNCH findings show that some of the projects that were abandoned mid way after they were started dated as far back as 20 years ago or more.

A cross section of residents who spoke with our correspondent in Jos, on Monday, said that they were disturbed that many of the projects which ought to have contributed to better their lives had rather worsened their situation because of their non completion.

A resident of Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area, Philip Dalyop  lamented the non completion of the bridge linking the community to Jos, the state capital.

“We used to have a wooden bridge here until when the state government started building a new modern bridge about ten years ago. Our people were initially happy, but their joy  suddenly turned into sorrow because the bridge project was not completed to date.

“Presently, our people are not just happy with the sorry state of both the bridge and the road.”

The Chairman of Community Peace Observers in Bokkos, Kefas Mallai, decried the number of abandoned projects in the area

“We have many of them (abandoned projects),  including schools scattered in several communities in Bokkos. The one that pains me more is the Cottage Hospital in Bokkos, which has been abandoned for more than 20 years mid way after work to upgrade it to a General Hospital started.

“Since then, our people have been suffering because of the  poor condition of health facilities across the state and their dilapidated structures,” Mallai noted.

The situation at the Utonkon Community in the Jos South LGA is not different as the bridge linking it to thevAbattoir Community has been abandoned for more than 11  years after it was initiated.

Arew PUNCH’s more findings show that the bridge project which began in 2011 was conceived by the former Governor Jonah Jang administration as part of the measures to ease traffic congestion within the area but had yet to be completed before his government came to an end.

Lamenting the situation, a resident of the community, Bulus Choji, observed that, “The non completion of this bridge has caused a lot of inconvenience to the people in the city centre. We had thought that the immediate past administration of Simon Lalong would give it a priority and complete it for us to use as he promised to do when he assumed office but we were wrong because  nothing was done on the bridge through out his eight years tenure of two terms administration.

“The same thing with the multi-billion naira Zaria Road Stadium, which has remained uncompleted.

“At the Jos Rock hotel, a five-star hotel, overgrown  weeds have taken over the edifice which has been laying fallow for more than three decades without completion.

“We are tired of pleading with every administration to do something about the uncompleted project,” Choji remarked.

When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms defended that the government is aware of the numerous abandoned projects in several communities.

However, he blamed the situation on some contractors whom he said have not lived up to expectations even after they were mobilised financially for the projects.

Nonetheless, Ashoms

assured the residents that the new administration of Governor Caleb Mutfwang would do everything to address all the problems.

“It is true that we have many abandoned projects that dot Plateau communities. If you go to Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and so on, you will see even hospitals that were started but left uncompleted.

“So, indeed,  there are many of such all over the places. Some of them are as a result of contractual litigations. Sometimes, when people are given contracts, they do not finish executing them. And you know the variations will  sometimes outweigh the initial amount the project is meant to consume.

“But I can tell you that the  administration of Governor Caleb Mutfwang is determined to address the challenge and because Government is a continuum, we are not going to say that this project or that project is started under the APC and then because of that, we will abandon it.

“This time around, we will ensure that Plateau does not become an abandoned project’s site,” the Commissioner insisted.