Buhari Inaugurates 20-year-old Kano-Maiduguri Road, Cautions Drivers

Fashola defends govt. borrowing

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday commissioned the 104-kilometre (km) Kano-Maiduguri dual highway, including the 4km single carriage way on section 3 of the Azare-Potiskum road, which links Bauchi and Yobe States.

The project which he described as a critical component of the country’s road network, adds to the hundreds of kilometres of highways inaugurated by the president in the last few weeks.

Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of State, Trade and Investment, Maryam Katagum, said the piece of infrastructure was a manifestation of the commitment of his administration to improving road transport, ease of doing business and job creation.

In addition, he explained that it was part of the fulfilment of his pledge to lift the Nigerian people out of poverty.

He pointed out that with the commissioning, the travel experience will now improve, including a reduction of the hitherto tedious route to about one hour.

He noted that reduced journey times as a result of the improvement in the road network, meant reduced expenses on travel, stressing that reduction in travel expense also meant more money in the pockets of travellers.

While highlighting that various segments of the society had been employed directly or indirectly during the project, the president said that his administration was gradually restoring many of the dilapidated roads throughout the country. Buhari explained that road furniture, such as the lane markings and route assurance signs which had disappeared in the country’s highways were being gradually returned.

“Our commitment to change has restored them, with the markings helping drivers to achieve better lane management and control of their vehicles; while the route assurance signs provide information about how much further or longer, the drivers and commuters have to travel and the distance to the next village, town or state,” he added.

The president urged commuters not to abuse the road and obey traffic rules and regulations, reiterating that the roads were built to the highest quality of design and workmanship. He further noted that if the rules are obeyed, the roads should last for the designed service life.

“Road abuse takes many forms such as overloading of vehicles and trucks which accelerates pavement damage, spilling of petroleum products, which dissolves all the components and allows water to penetrate.

“In addition, converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places can bring the onset of road failure from the shoulder. We must all do our best to avoid these practices, report them when they occur and act in a lawful manner to stop them,” he advised.

In his remarks, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, listed some of the roads that had been commissioned and those up for inauguration as the Jigawa for Section II covering 142.2 x 2 (dual) kilometres between Shuwarin and Azare, connecting Jigawa and Bauchi States.

He further mentioned the Benue for Vandeikya-Obudu Cattleranch road, covering 24 kilometres connecting Benue and Cross River States and Ebonyi for Nnewe- Uduma- Uburu road covering 26.27 kilometres with 14 kilometres spur to Ishiagu, connecting Enugu and Ebonyi States as projects that had been commissioned in the last few weeks.

“These projects represent major investment in road transport infrastructure, which is a commitment of the Buhari administration as a driver for economic growth and prosperity.

“They are visible and incontrovertible assets in proof of what Nigeria’s resources are invested in, from a combination of our earned resources, and borrowings.

“This occasion affords another opportunity to acknowledge the impact of the Sukuk funding which is currently contributing to progress of work on 44 roads across Nigeria and as we complete them, events like this will hold,” the minister who was represented by the Director of Highways, North-east Zone, Celestine Shawuru, said.

Emir of Katagum, Kabir Umar, in his comments, said the project represented what government can do with a little determination.

“This project was awarded almost 20 years ago. And it has gone through a succession of different governments. We need to continue this in Nigeria where one government starts a project and another government will see it to completion,” he stressed.