From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri, Noah Ebije, Kaduna, Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi, Agaju Madugba, Katsina, Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto, Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
In continuation of our series on the state of federal roads across the country, our correspondents in the North-East and the North-West toured the two geopolitical zones and came up with reports that indicate that the roads in the zones are not as bad as the ones in other parts of the country.
KADUNA
Contract for the reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road was awarded to Julius Berger in December, 2017. The project was expected to be completed before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2023. But that did not happen, even though Buhari commissioned a completed section of Zaria-Kano road on May 23, 2023.
When the Minister of Works and Housing, David Umahi, visited Kaduna in August last year, he revealed that only 20 per cent of the Abuja-Kaduna highway had been completed, and urged the construction company to work towards its completion in 2024. However, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, coordinator of Arewa Think Tank, lampooned the government when he pointed out that, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road which took the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida administration two and half years to construct from ground zero, could not be rehabilitated over a period of eight years of the Muhammadu Buhari government.
The Kaduna western bypass has been in a state of disrepair thereby constituting a death trap to travelers over the years, even as it undergoes reconstruction.
Saturday Sun gathered that at a point, the road was abandoned, forcing heavy duty vehicles to access the only major express way that runs through the city centre, and occasionally causing traffic jams, in addition to gradually wearing away the quality of the road.
The Kaduna State government under the immediate past governor, Nasir El-rufai engaged direct labour in executing palliative works on the road, but a contract for the reconstruction of the bypass was awarded to Dantata & Sawoe, early last year. However, two years after the contract was awarded, the construction is nowhere near completion. In effect, residents have continued to lament the hardship and obstruction the non completion of the bypass has brought to them.
Bayo Ojo is a motor mechanic whose workshop is situated within the vicinity of the western bypass. Ojo told Saturday Sun that, “Most of my customers have abandoned me because they can no longer access my place due to the ongoing road construction where most of the motorable areas have been blocked pending the completion of the entire bypass, which I think is up to 20 kilometres from Sabo Tasha Bridge to Mando-Kawo Roundabout.”
In a related development stakeholders have expressed worry and displeasure over the abandonment of the N74.649 billion for the construction of Kaduna Eastern Bypass road project.
The Kaduna Eastern Bypass Project is a 48 kilometres stretch of road that connects the Kaduna Metropolis with the Federal Capital Territory and about 11 other states in the country. Contract for the construction of the road was initially awarded in 2002 to an indigenous firm at the cost of N16 billion, but was later abandoned until 2017 when the federal government upscale the cost to N38.19 billion and set a 2021 deadline for completion.
In 2019, the Federal Executive Council considered and approved an augmentation to increase the contract sum with N36.459 billion, thus bringing the total cost of the project to N74.649 billion. It was, however, gathered that after the train attack of March 2022 on the Abuja-Kaduna road, the contractor suspended work on the first section of the road citing security threats. But even with what the government believes to be improvement in the security situation in the area, the project remains abandoned.
“In a bid to ensure accountability and judicious spending of taxpayers’ money approved for the project, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure completion of the Kaduna Eastern Bypass project,” a federal lawmaker told Saturday Sun. Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has stated that the Federal Government is on track to complete the ongoing Abuja-Kaduna-Kano-Kastina highway project by 2025.
KEBBI
In Kebbi State, the 91km Dabai-Mahuta-Koko road, which was constructed between 2006-2012 at a cost of N5.07 billion, awarded by then governor of the state, Adamu Aliero and was completed by Governor Saidu Nasamu Dakingari in 2011 is now a death trap.
From Koko town to Zuru through this road, which ought to be a journey of about two hours, now takes a travel time of between four and five hours. Another federal road in the state is the 42km Malado-Gari-Baka-Ngaski-Warra road which is now, almost impassable, compelling motorists to pass through Warra and Ngaski towns and burst out at Kotagora-Ibeto via Auna Road in Niger State before they can reach their destinations. Travelers who pass through these roads lament high fares due to the bad roads and removal of oil subsidies.
Mallam Nasir Zuru, a motorist who travels on the route, lamented the ordeal they go through on a daily basis ranging from breakdown of their vehicles along the roads, regular punching and deflating of tyres and insecurity.
KATSINA
In Katsina State, a number of federal roads are in good condition, but they are occupied by terrorists, making it difficult for travelers to enjoy a smooth journey.
The entire stretch of Funtua-Sheme highway has been in bad shape for a long period. The development may not be unconnected with the reported incidences of kidnappings that occur there on a regular basis.
On the other hand however, the Dutsinma – Kankara highway is in good condition. But the road is bad news for motorists as bandits lay ambush for motorists and passengers and herd them into the nearby bush paths leading to the notorious Rugu forest, which is said to be home for various terrorist groups operating in Katsina and Zamfara states.
Until about three years ago, the Jibiya (in Katsina State) – Kaura Namoda (in Zamfara State) highway was considered one of the safest roads and shortest gateway to and from the two states. The road is virtually faultless in terms of potholes or bad portions on it. But in 2020, the Katsina State government officially pronounced it a no-go area and barred motorists from plying that route because it became a hotbed for bandits’ operations. Till date, terrorists are still in control of the road.
SOKOTO
In Sokoto State, there are three federal roads linking the state, they include Zaira-Gusau-Sokoto, Kontagora-Yauri-Sokoto and Sokoto-Illela-Niger Republic borderline. Saturday Sun discovered that most of these roads are full of potholes; however, officials from Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) were on routine maintenance of the highways.
In 2022, the federal government approved the dualization of Sokoto-Gusau highway, which is still ongoing at the time of filing this report.
From the Birnin Kebbi motor park, travelling to Lagos now costs abit N25,000 as against N18,000 in the past. Birnin Kebbi to Ilorin now costs N21,000 as against 13,000 due to bad roads and removal of oil subsidy.
A traveler from Birnin Kebbi to Lagos, Daramola Moses, explained he always developed anxiety anytime he has to travel through the Wara-Ngaski-Auna road to Ilorin or Ibadan. According to him, “this route is terrible but it is better than Kontagora to Mokwa. That Kontagora to Mokwa is a death trap during this rainy season.
For the past eight years, the two roads have been in that condition and they are getting worse every season. If you put on good clothes, it will be spoiled before you get to your destination. When you get home too, you have to be taking pain relieving drugs. Again, bandits operate around that terrain. You can see that, without good roads in that area, lives are in danger.
BORNO
Years of neglect of some federal roads and insurgency have ruined many lives in Borno State.
Driving on the 133 kilometers Maiduguri-Damaturu highway brings much pain on commuters and pressure on the vehicles due to the dilapidated portions of the road.
“In the past, a journey from Maiduguri to Damaturu was just an hour and 20 minutes drive but it now takes two hours due to bad portions of the road that slow down driving,” a commercial bus driver told Saturday Sun.
The busy road is a major access that links the North-east to other parts of the country especially the North-west – Kano and the North-central state of Plateau. It also provides a platform for the movement of agricultural produce.
According to Saturday Sun findings, a contract for the expansion and rehabilitation of the Maiduguri-Damaturu road was awarded during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure through Sukkuk funding but work commenced in the first year of President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration.
While works from the Kano-Yobe axis continued smoothly, the Borno end was halted by incessant attacks on the road including burning of construction equipment by Boko Haram insurgents since 2014.
Most federal roads in Borno suffer a similar fate of years of neglect and terrorist attacks. One of such roads is the Maiduguri-Monguno Road, which was constructed in the 1980s but which has existed without period rehabilitation.
The 187kms Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu federal road has been abandoned due to terrorist presence along the area. The road links Borno to Gombe and Adamawa states in the North-east. Before the outbreak of insurgency in 2009, the road had become very bad and was already a death trap according to Musa Yamta, a resident of Biu.
“The state of the road was very bad before the insurgency. Government didn’t respond to calls for its rehabilitation,” said Malam Aliyu Manu, a truck driver in the area.
TARABA
Most of the federal roads are in such deplorable conditions that motorists now describe them variously as death traps, criminal hubs and nightmares. From the Wukari- Jalingo highway, Jalingo-Numan road, Jalingo- Zing, to Kurmi, Gembu, Ibi roads, motorists have horrible experiences to relate. Ezekiel Davou, a pharmacist who travels on the roads to make deliveries to his customers across the state and other neighbouring states, told Saturday Sun that “traveling on these roads is an experience you won’t wish on your enemy. After every trip, you have to get medical attention and fix your car.
“The last time I went to Wukari, I had three punctures on my vehicle tires on one leg of the trip due to sharp edges of some of the potholes. There was another time I was going to Gembu and I ended up sleeping on the road because I entered one deep pothole and it affected the suspension system of my vehicle. So I couldn’t proceed. I had to call a mechanic from Nguroje who ended up working most of the night but couldn’t complete the work.
“That is how we ended up sleeping on the road because I had a lot of stock and could not risk leaving the car there unsecured. These roads are just so bad that traversing them is simply a nightmare.”
The Jalingo-Numan road is believed to be one of the worst roads in the entire region. Most portions of the road are completely gone and motorists often have to drive off roads into people’s farms.
Ismail Yetunde, a commercial driver, who was attacked and robbed when his vehicle got stuck in the mud along the road, told Saturday Sun that “I loaded from Jalingo to Numan but my car got stuck in the mud because I had to go off road. While we were trying to pull the car out, some boys came on motorcycles and attacked us. All the passengers were robbed.”
As a result of the bad roads, transport fares are very high while some people cannot even bring their produce to the markets.
Kurmi is a local government full of potentials but the bad state of the roads inhibits people from accessing the potentials. Here, Mrs. Victoria Abe, an Abuja based business woman usually goes to buy plantain, avocados, and other agricultural produce. She lost almost N10 million last year when the truck in which she was conveying her goods got stuck and could not be moved for several days. The truck load of plantain and other products perished.