ORTOM CRIES ONN HEARING THE SNAKE ALLEGATIONS

NO SNAKES THREAT AT PROPOSED CARGO AIRPORT SITE - MANGER
---Says Divisional Engineering Offices To Be Established in Three Senatorial Zones
By Jimin Geoffrey
Benue State Commissioner for Works, Transport and Energy, Hon. Emmanuel Manger, has debunked allegations that the host community for the proposed Cargo Airport site along Makurdi - Lafia Road had threatened to attack anyone seen on the site with snakes, saying the story was a figment of the imagination of its source.
Hon. Manger, who refuted the allegations during an interactive session with a group of journalists in his office today said the ministry and the consortium; Cargopolis, which is in partnership with the state for the actualisation of the Cargo Air Port project had no misunderstanding with the host community capable of leading to threats of attack.
According to him, all the issues that required dialogue with the host community were amicably resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.
Giving update on the status of the project, the Commissioner said a report on assessment of compensation carried out by surveyors had just been submitted to the ministry and is being looked into, saying necessary compensation arrangements required for the next stage of the project were being addressed.
Commenting on the state of dilapidation of township roads in the state, Hon. Manger attributed most of the damages caused on the roads to water spillage, stressing that in some cases, a complete overlaying of the dilapidated portions was necessary, which he said was capital intensive.
He however noted that the Benue State Government was working on establishing divisional engineering offices in the three senatorial zones of the state that would be saddled with the responsibility of road maintenance across the state with support from the ministry.
In the interim, Hon. Manger said a memo had been raised in the State Executive Council meeting and when finally approved, massive maintenance would be carried out on roads in Makurdi, Otukpo, Gboko and Katsina-Ala especially when the rains must have subsided.
The Commissioner while commenting on the construction of roads in the state said out of the road contracts awarded by the previous administration and later abandoned, but for which Governor Ortom had remobilised contractors back to site, some of the roads were already completed and were awaiting commissioning while three others were at various points of completion.
On the construction of new roads in the state which include Origbo-Imande Akpu-Gbajimba and Mobile Barracks-Welfare Quarters Roads, Hon. Manger said work on the roads was progressing without hitches.
He added that the current heavy rains had slowed down the pace of work on all the projects, giving assurance that as soon as the rains subsided, construction would fully resume.