Pegi raises funds to construct 1.5km road
After waiting for government for years without getting any response, members of Pegi Estate Development Association (PEDA) in Kuje Area Council of the FCT, on February, 3, 2018, took the bull by the horns by contributing funds to embark on construction of the 1.5-kilometre longabandoned Pegi-Dafara road.
Mrs. Ruth Bature, who was overwhelmed with joy over the commencement of work, recalled how she got trapped in the bush while returning from the City Centre while armed robbers were operating along the road. She said she was so scared being a woman driving alone that night.
She said she was the first person to pay her contribution when the association brought up the idea of constructing the 1.5-kilometre part of the road.
“I feel so happy today as our association has decided to contribute some money to commence construction of the road because I was a robbery victim once. It was just the grace of God that saved me that day,” she said.
Chairman of the road project, Mr. Ignatius Anoruo, said members of PEDA came to reside in the community in 2005, and that they had suffered due to the bad road.
He said despite several letters to management of past FCT administrations and the area council, nothing was done about the road.
“It is very terrible, as there is no day that passes without armed robbers attacking us,” he said.
The chairman of the council, Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima, who flagged off the N50 million road project, noted that the construction of the road would pave way for development.
He commended the effort of PEDA in coming up with such project, saying he had never seen such effort by any community in the area council.
“In fact, what we are witnessing today is the first of its kind in the history of Kuje Area Council. I want to say the people of Pegi have made us proud,” he said.
He assured the people of the council’s support.
Galadima pledged that the council would support them with 60 per cent of the total project cost, adding that the N400,000 he personally promised to support the road project with would be handed over to the association before Friday.
Also speaking, Chairman of PEDA, Mr. Wasiu Oriola, said the project’s first phase would cost N50m, minus asphalt, and that PEDA had already raised about 40 per cent of the funds.
He commended the support of the area council, noting that the council promised to support the project with 60 per cent of the total cost (N30m), and said it would go a long way in realising the project.
He recalled how FCDA placed an advertorial in one of the national dailies in 2010 for the construction of the 14km Kuje-Pegi road, saying PEDA was informed that the contract was awarded, but that the company responsible was yet to deliver even a kilometre.
“It was based on that that the community decided to collaborate with the authorities of Kuje Area Council to embark on the road project, from Pegi to Dafara to link up with Kuje.
“An expert told us that it is the shortest and less expensive to construct, and that it will also link to Apo/Wassa road which was recently flagged off by the FCT minister,” he said.
A youth leader in the community, Nuhu Makiko, said, “We are so happy because the road passes through our community and it will bring development. So we are 100 per cent in support of it.”