By Oluwaseun Sonde
Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has said that his commitment to improving road transport infrastructure, determination on ease of doing business, creating jobs and prosperity to lift people out of poverty brings Nigeria to this level where investment results have started manifesting.
The President spoke over the weekend in Gashua, Yobe State, north-eastern Nigeria during official commissioning and handover of the completed section I phase II and section II phase I of the Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari road.
President Buhari was represented at the event by the Honourable Minister of Power, Engr Abubakar D. Aliyu, said the commitment of his administration in infrastructure development across the nation is already bearing results
Accordingly, he explained that the road has been built to the highest quality of design and workmanship and if well used and not abused, it should last for the designed service life
While assuring Nigerians about the desire of his administration to complete all ongoing projects, President Buhari said “I can confidently say that as we enter the final lap of the tenure of the Buhari administration we are also entering a season of completion and delivery of projects.”
The President also cautioned Nigerians to desist from indiscret road abuses, comply with the highway code, and reminded them to adhere to the maximum 100 kilometres per hour speed limit on Federal Highways nationwide
“Now that we have this new and well-built road, we have duties to ourselves and to other road users and one of those duties is to ensure that we drive in accordance with the law as stipulated in the Highway Code.”
He listed the road abuses to include: overloading of vehicles which accelerates pavement damage; spilling of petroleum products, which dissolves all the components and allows water to penetrate, and converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places, that brings the onset of road failure from the shoulder.
"Nigerian citizens should do their best to avoid these practices, and to report them when they occur and also act in a lawful manner to stop them" he said
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola represented by the Director Highways, North-East, Engr Celestine Shawusu, said that the projects represent major investment in road Transport infrastructure, which was a commitment of the Buhari administration as a driver for economic growth and prosperity.
He explained that the projects were visible and incontrovertible assets in proof of what Nigeria’s resources are invested in, from a combination of our earned resources, and borrowings.
Fashola also acknowledged and commended the commitment of the President and his Vice, the professionalism of staff of the Ministry in the delivering of the projects and the support of Ministers in the Federal Executive Council and the members of the National Assembly, especially the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Works in the 8th and 9th Assembly for their support.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, represented by the Yobe State Federal Controller of Works, Engr O.B. Akinmade, said that the administration of President Muhamadu Buhari has focused it's attention on the completion of several on-going projects to stimulate economic development, create jobs and promote local content.
He explained that it was part of
the developmental agenda of the administration in addressing road infrastructural development of Nigeria,
“The focus is to link the major arterial roads to refineries, ports, tertiary institutions and high volume commercial centers with a view to reducing travel times, vehicle maintenance costs, safety and security of commuters.” he said.
In his remarks, Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni stated that the project was both historic and important to the State.
He said after several years of neglect by previous governments, the Buhari's administration has been able to rehabilitate the road for our use.
He said: "the importance of the road to the socio-economic development cannot be overemphasized."
On his part, the Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman thanked President Buhari and said that ten years ago, journey from Nguru to Gashua usually takes them about two and half hour, but they now make the journey in less than forty-five minutes. "This has facilitate movement of goods from our farms to the market thereby boosting our economic activities," he said.
A road user by name Abubakar Babaginda commended Federal Government for the road saying travel time has reduced drastically." Before now we find it difficult to ply this road, we spend many hours to get to Gashua due to the bad road, but now we spend fewer time. We are grateful," he said.
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