Senate Charges FG On Bad Roads, Wants North-East In Highway Projects

ABUJA – The Senate has called on the Fed­eral Government to extend the Re­newed Hope Super Highway Road Project to the North-East so as to ensure full inclusion of the zone into the mainstream economic activities of the country.

Adopting a motion by Sena­tor Danjuma Goje (APC: Gombe Central), the Senate also urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to, as a matter of necessity, ap­prove the rehabilitation of all de­plorable roads across the country.

Senator Goje in a motion titled, ‘Federal Government approval of N4.2 trillion for the construction of Lagos-Calabar coastal road and other major roads projects nationwide,’ noted that in this laudable project, the North-East has only two projects, 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 N4.2 trillion.

He also noted that 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; Potiskum – Gombe road; Darazo – Gombe road; 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, which desperately require serious reconstruction and rehabilitation.

According to him, the North- East is the only zone that is not connected to the super highway project embarked upon by this administration.

However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropria­tion, Senator Adeola Olamilekan (APC: Ogun West), explained that the allocation of N4.2 trillion was originally meant for the La­gos-Calabar coastal highway and Badagry-Sokoto highway.

He said but the Federal Gov­ernment out of magnanimity set aside N500 billion for other road projects across the country.

“The president of Federal Republic of Nigeria was trying to provide for the coastal projects that is going on which is to the tune of the N4.2 trillion; that is the two coastal roads, the Lagos-Calabar and the Badagry-Sokoto roads. The president then approved that for all the existing roads, the sum of N500 billion will be set aside out of the N4.2 billion to be given to all existing road projects across the country,” he said.

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, regretted that so many roads across the country are in a deplorable state.

“I think we should have a road map on how to maintain our roads and ensure their reconstruction.

“Take for example the road linking Akwa Ibom State with Cross Rivers State was done in 1975 but with a provision that there should be an overlay in sev­en years, but 40 years after, that overlay was not done,” he said.