CHAPTER   EIGHT

 

DIRECTORATE  OF  RURAL DEVELOPMENT

(DRD)

 

            By the Edict No.4 of 1996, Kogi State Directorate of Rural Development (DRD) is saddled with the responsibility of implementing rural development programmes of the State Government.

 

            It would be recalled that in his policy statement, shortly after taking over the mantle of leadership of Kogi State on 29th May, 2003, Governor Ibrahim Idris identified rural transformation as one of the focal points of his Administration.

 

            In line with this policy statement, the Governor decisively repositioned the State Directorate of Rural Development in July, 2004 with a view to actualizing his dream for rural transformation.  Between then and now, unprecedented achievements have been recorded in the three areas of Rural Electrification, Rural Road and Rural Water Supply through the Directorate of Rural Development.

 

A.        Rural Electrification:

            Under the rural electrification programme of this Administration, the following achievements were recorded.

 

         1.            Ankpa-Anyigba power interconnection project has been completed.  There is now power supply in Okura, Egume, Anyigba, Agbeji and Ofakaga respectively and efforts are being made to connect other villages between Ankpa and Anyigba.

 

           2.          First phase of Kogi State University electrification master plan has been completed.

 

           3.          Imane power improvement project which links Imane to the Cottage Hospital has been completed.

 

            4.         Oji-Akpanya electrification project has been completed

 

            5.         Abejukolo power improvement and Ibado electrification project have been completed.

 

            6.         Aiyede Amuro electrification project has been completed.

 

            7.         A total of Sixty-eight units of transformers were issued to 40 communities across the State to boost their power supply.

            

             8.           Ogepko electrification project has also been completed.                                 

 

Text Box: Transformer Point Kotonkarfe, Kogi L.G.A Text Box: Anka-Anyigba Inter-Connection Road Text Box: Transformer point at Ikuehi-Ihima Okehi LGA

 

 

 

B.        Rural Roads:

            Kogi State has 80% of its total road network in rural areas.  In realizing the great potentialities and natural resources of the rural areas of the State, the State Government procured heavy duty equipments such as grader, roller, pay loader, tippers (2No) D7 Bulldozer Compactors and low loader for the rural road construction and rehabilitation programme.  The total sum of N150 million has so far been committed to he purchase of these equipment.

 

            The following roads were constructed in 2005. 

           1.          Adankolo new-layout township road Lokoja 2.5km shaping, fully lateriting and grading completed.

 

           2.          Ganaja junction new layout Lokoja 1.5km lateriting, grading, compaction completed.

 

           3.          Kunawa CrescentGRA 2.5km shaping, grading and compaction completed.

 

           4.          Alobi township road 0.7km removal of loose top soil, shaping, grading, compaction completed.

 

           5.          Ayikpele-Obagwu-Igebije-Ikagbo road 25km bulldozed, shaping, spot lateriting, grading and compaction weork is completed.

 

           6.          Ibado Akpacha-Ogodu road 21km, bulldozing, shaping spot lateriting, grading and compaction about to be completed.

 

           7.          Abejukolo township road – 5km shaping spot latering and compaction work is completed.

 

           8.          Echa township road  1.2km shaping spot lateriting and grading completed.

 

           9.          Ibado township road  1.5km grading.

 

           10.        Igodo Ojaji road 2.5km clearing, grading and compaction completed.

 

           11.        Abejukolo-Agojeju-Odo road 21km clearing, grading and compaction, on-going.

                       

                        Equipment would soon be moved to other Senatorial Districts of the State to take care of their demands.

 

 

C.        Rural Water Supply:

            In the area of rural water supply, the Directorate has completed 29 rural water projects through the provision of motorized boreholes and rehabilitation of existing broken down water schemes in the Eastern Senatorial District of the State.  The Directorate also tackled the age-long water problem in Ajaka and Ejule through the completion of their respective surface water projects, all commissioned and in use.

Text Box: Ejule Water Works

 

           

9 Local Government Areas of the Eastern Senatorial District have so far benefited from the Rural Water Supply Schemes.  The programme include surface water projects and borehole with overhead tanks.

                        1.         Ankpa                                      -           3

                        2.         Bassa                                                  -           3

                        3.         Dekina                                                -           4

                        4.         Ibaji                                                     -           3

                        5.         Idah                                                     -           3

                        6.         Igalamela/Odolu                                -           3

                        7.         Ofu                                                      -           3

                        8.         Olamaboro                                         -           4

                        9.         Omala                                     -           3

Text Box: Prototype Picture of Overhead Tank at Dekina

                                                           

           

 

The amount expended on water in the Eastern Senatorial District on the above programme is N194.94M