From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Apart from the high cost of premium motor spirit (PMS) that has put holes in the pockets of car owners and the fear of car theft, a plethora of potholes, especially in rural areas, is unsettling residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Car owners residing in some areas like Kubwa, Durumi, Nyanya, Gwagwalada, Dutse-Alhaji, Sulkale, Bwari and Lokogoma said they have had tough times, as hardly a week passes by without them visiting automobile shops to fix the wheels of the cars.
According to them, the situation is terrible during the rainy season, and cars are abandoned, especially when it rains, as the floods would occupy the roads, making it difficult for them to identify danger spots.
The dry season is not better either because of the dust, an environmental challenge that they said compels them to always wash their automobiles.
Some estates in city centres are practically empty because of how dilapidated the roads leading to the areas are.
Those who cannot bear the mental and financial fatigue are relocating to seemingly better areas, which are also not cheap. In fact, in some cases, community leaders and estate managements pool resources to patch bad spots to advance patronage.
In addition, most vehicle owners are forced to park their cars in their offices or in their neighbours’ compounds, to avoid damage.
For those without the financial wherewithal, selling their vehicles is their only option. Aside from the financial implications, potholes are some of the major causes of road accidents.
A car owner, Alpha Jacktlden, said he has spent over N700,000 to fix his car in recent times in Abuja: “There’s no gain saying that potholes on roads, wherever they are found in the world, are an abnormal stance.
“Potholes are not supposed to be part of our paved roads. Potholes, no doubt, come with a lot of consequences. It is majorly a causative factor for accidents.
“It is a causative factor for damage to vehicles. It is a causative factor for slowing vehicular movement. It is a causative factor that miscreants even use such potholes to attack motorists.
“And, hence, having said what I have said, government needs to do all it can to see that potholes don’t exist whatsoever on our roads. Because what can we say are the major causes of accidents today?
“The major causes could be human, it could be material in terms of the vehicles, it also could be weather. But when you talk of materials, no gain saying potholes are factors as far as accidents and mishaps on Nigerian roads are concerned.
“I wish to reiterate my call on government and all stakeholders to see that whatever can be done towards ameliorating this problem is done, largely because we just don’t need them. We just don’t need them.
“We pay taxes and, having people who pay taxes, government should see that it does all it possibly can towards containing this menace of potholes on Nigerian roads.
“How much have you spent trying to fix your car as a result of bad roads? I can tell you that I have fixed my car using quite a quantum of money. In some areas where we live in Abuja, the roads within the city centre are very good.
“You hardly come across potholes. And even before they develop, you get the authorities to come cover them up. But in other places like Kaduna, I have spent, I can tell you, well over N600,000 within a span of like two years fixing my car.
“Because I used to patronise the Kaduna-Abuja road very well and you know that road is full of potholes. So I can tell you that, going by my estimate, I don’t think I have spent at least less than N600,000.
“I have lost two tyres. These tyres were tyres I bought for N80,000 at that time. Those tyres today are N170,000.
“I have had to change all my shock absorbers. I have had to change my linkages. I have had to change one of my fog lamps because I hit a pothole and it broke.
“You understand what I’m saying? So, I can assure you that it comes at a great cost to motorists.”
Abraham Uchechukwu, a resident in Apo district in the FCT, said because of the nature of the road he has not been able to pack into his personal house.
According to Uchechukwu, driving through the area is like driving through hell because of tortuous nature of the road.
“I built my house in Apo about two years ago. But since then I have not been able to pack in because of the nature of road; it is impassable. Since it is still a construction site, trucks ferrying granite and other heavy building materials are contributing to the destruction of the road.
“House owners have contributed money to patch the roads but it is not helping matters, because of the heavy-duty vehicles. Whenever, I am going to my house, I employ the services of motorcyclists. And it is expensive.
“The last time I drove through my area, I had to visit my mechanic. My shock absorbers were faulty, the bolt joints were affected.”
Jide Olawole, a Honda car owner, shared the worries of Uchechukwu.
According to him, some places are out of bounds to him to drive through because of the dilapidated nature of the road, especially in some parts of Bwari and Gwagwalada.
Olawole said men of the underworld take advantage of the nightmare to steal from them because of the nature of road, especially at night.
Olawole solicited the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to remember them.
“This is an opportunity for me to plead with the minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to remember our area. I know he is doing a good work in the city centres, but he should extend it to villages.
“I own a Honda Accord vehicle. You know that we always have issues with the legs of our cars, any time I am driving through my street, I am always careful because if I should make any mistake, I will have to visit my mechanic. This is so because something could go wrong. And you know that car spare parts are expensive.”