Senate Seeks Super Highway Treatment for Nigeria’s Federal Roads

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The senate yesterday asked the federal government to extend its Renewed Hope Super Highway Project to all federal roads across the country.

The resolution of the red chamber followed a motion by the senator representing Gombe Central, Danjuma Goje, on the approval granted by the federal government for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and other major highways.

Goje noted the Federal Executive Council meeting of Monday February 3, approved N4.2trn for the construction of Lagos-Calabar Road and other major highways and bridges across the country.

He was of the view that the massive road infrastructure projects were conceived to deliberately address the deplorable state of federal road networks nationwide.

He also said it would lead to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of others in line with the policy thrust of the current administration.

He said the projects would revamp the road infrastructure challenges in order to boost socio-economic development of this country.

He said: “The president should be commended for this bold initiative as it will go a long way to improve effective transport system as well as address the challenges of insecurity, as criminal elements had taken advantage of the deplorable nature of highway road networks to perpetrate their nefarious and dastardly acts.”

He listed the beneficiaries of the massive road projects to include, Lagos – Calabar Highway; Delta State Access Road; Anambra State Access Road; Lagos – Ibadan Express Way; Auchi-Edo Section; Benin Airport Area Section; and the Third Mainland Bridge, in Lagos.

They also included, the Ado Ekiti-Igede Road Project; Onitsha Owerri Express Way; Abia & Enugu States Road Projects; Udukpani Junction – Apeti Central Section of Calabar ~ Ikom – Ogoja Road; Abeokuta – Ajibo Road – Iyanan Mosa Road in Ogun State; Adulu — Ajibu Road in Anambra State; Umuahia – Ikuano — Ikot-Ekpene Road; and the Umuahia ~ Umudike; Ijebu – Igbotita in Ogun State.

Goje listed the Lokoja-Benin Road; Musasa-Jos Route; Agaya Kachia – Baro Road in Niger State; Yola – Fufore – Gurin Road in Adamawa State; and Karim Lamido Road in Taraba State, as part of the beneficiaries.

He said: “However, it is imperative to note that in this laudable project, the North-East has only two projects, that is, Yola-Fufore-Gurin Road in Adamawa State (N11.81 billion); and Lamido Road in Taraba State (N7.68 billion), out of the approved sum of N4.2trn.

“Apart from these two road projects in the North-East, there are other very important road networks, which are in bad conditions, such as, the Bauchi-Gombe Road; Biu-Gombe Road; and the Potiskum-Gombe Road.”

Other deplorable roads in the North-East, according to Goje, included, the Darazo ~Gombe road; and Numan ~ Jalingo road; Yola-Mubi Road: Yola – Michika – Madagali – Gwoza – Bama Road, Ngorore-Mayo Belwa – Zing ~ Jalingo; Mayo Belwa ~ Jada – Ganye; Biu – Gombi – Maranraba; Biu – Damboa – Maiduguri; and Biu – Damaturu, among others.

He also told his colleagues that the North-East geopolitical zone is the only region that is not connected to the Super Highway Project, embarked upon by this administration.

He observed that the laudable intention behind the conception of these projects is to ensure connectivity by improving road safety with the aim of harnessing the viability of resources that abound across the length and breadth of this country, with a view to stimulating economic growth and development.

After a robust debate on the motion, the red chamber resolved to commend the federal government for embarking on these ambitious and laudable projects.

It noted that it would go a long way to guarantee socio-economic and political wellbeing of the citizenry of this country.

The senate also urged the federal government to, as a matter of necessity, approve the rehabilitation of the listed deplorable roads in the country.

It urged the federal government to extend the Renewed Hope Super Highway to the North-East in order to ensure full inclusion of the zone into the mainstream economic activities of the country.

Earlier, senators in their various contributions, noted that the current administration in the country should give special considerations to the repairs of deplorable federal roads in the country.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC Ogun West), in his contribution, however clarified that allocation for the N4.2trillion coastal road projects was not done on zonal basis.

He said: “The N4.2trillion coastal road projects strictly covers the Badagary-Sokoto and Lagos-Calabar Coastal roads.

“For the existing road projects across the country, Mr. President has set aside N500billon for continued rehabilitation work without exclusion of any zone.”

The president of the senate in his remarks, said until Nigeria has a serious road map for constant rehabilitation and maintenance of roads across the country, issue of road deplorability in Nigeria will remain.

He added that if previous administrations in the country had taken bold steps being taken by the Tinubu administration now, the problem wouldn’t have been gargantuan as they are now, as far as deplorable roads in Nigeria are concerned.