I am raising concern over the bad state of the roads and calling for the urgent rehabilitation to save them from breakdowns. I am appealing to President Buhari to consider overall World Bank assessment, the poor state of roads in Nigeria which impacts negatively on cost of production, and represents a major trigger of cost-push inflation.
The primary mandate of the Central Bank of Nigeria is to maintain price stability. It is evident that this mandate will not be achieved if the problem of bad roads in the country is not addressed. Please President Buhari, consider the latest World Bank assessment of Nigerian roads.
I am appealing to President Buhari to factor in, the maintenance Agency’s roles in all roads investment, including for example the SUKUK BOND funded interventions to save the dancing bridges on Benin-Abuja road that will soon collapse. River Orle bridge and River Ejo bridge on Benin-Auchi road are dancing and about to collapse. According to the World Bank, “roads make a critical contribution to economic development and growth, and bring important social benefits”.
The economy and a greater part of the country’s population depend on road transportation. Unfortunately, these roads are acclaimed to be among the worst in the world as Nigerians go through untold hardship moving from one part of the country to another. Indeed, it has been estimated that the nation loses about N3trillion annually in assets value due to the poor conditions of the roads. Such a huge loss is, no doubt, detrimental to the country’s developmental aspirations. As a critical infrastructure, adequate road reconstruction, rehabilitation and maintenance have become periodically necessary. The responsibility for the building and maintenance of the road networks in the country is shared between the tiers of governments – federal, state and local. It should be noted that, out of the total road length nationwide, about 35,000 kilometres are federal highways, 50, 000km state highways and 150,000 are local government feeder roads.
I am appealing to President Buhari that most federal and state-owned roads are gradually turning into death-traps and turned to hotspot for bandits and kidnappers. I am appealing to President Buhari to repair the roads. I am appealing to President Buhari to hasten its intervention on the roads and due to increasing pressure on them the roads keep getting bad. Potholes are ubiquitous on Nigerian roads. But there are gaping holes in the road leading from Benin-Abuja which have sparked alarm. There are deep gullies on Benin-Warri road, Benin-Asaba road and Benin-Abuja road. Upon closer inspection, the depth of the hole appears are posing potentially dangerous consequences for vehicles driving past. I am appealing to President Buhari for Prompt and adequate road maintenance which is important. Once surface deterioration or destruction has started, it can proceed very rapidly. Postponing highway maintenance can result in several havoc such as fatal accidents to commuters. The goal of maintenance is to preserve the asset, not to upgrade it.
Inwalomhe Donald,
Benin City.