Kwara State Government has paid N8 billion to contractors handling various road and water projects across the state.

The Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Aro Yahaya and his counterpart in the ministry of Water Resources, Abdulrazaq Akorede, made disclosure on Tuesday in Ilorin at the maiden ministerial press briefing.

Yahaya said that N2.5 billion was paid in January to contractors handling federal, state and rural roads in the state.

He said that the government intervened in the construction of some federal roads in the state to ameliorate the sufferings of the people and improve their socio-economic status.

The Commissioner added that besides the Patigi-Kpada road, Kaiama-Kishi and Apado-Ilorin federal roads, the state government would soon commence the dualisation of Kulende to Oke Ose/UITH road.

Yahaya announced that construction work on Oko and Ilala bridges are 90 per cent completed. He said that government had also constructed some rural roads across the state.

He said that government had almost completed the construction of most of the township roads in the state capital and local government headquarters to ease traffic gridlock.

Yahaya added that the government would soon embark on the construction of flyover over Gari Alimi Roundabout to link the Airport with Saw Mill and Asa Dam road with Olorunsogo.

On his part, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Abdulrazaq Akorede, said that N5.5 billion had been paid to CGC Nig Ltd for the rehabilitation of various water projects spread across the state.

He said that work on reticulation and distribution networks in Ilorin had reached 90 per cent completion and would soon be ready for use.

In his remark at the briefing, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the governor on Media, Dr Muideen Akorede, said that repositioning of the three state owned media outfits would be completed in August. According to him, the the media outfits will rank among the top 10 in the country at the completion of the exercise.

He said that 10 persons were arrested for possession of fake certificates during the ongoing verification of workers and pensioners in the state. He added that the exercise would afford the government the opportunity to reduce the monthly wage bill by 35 per cent to 40 per cent. (NAN)