On August 8, 2018, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed that the federal government approved the contract for the expansion of the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road to dual carriageway at the cost of N348.6 billion.
But to our dismay, nothing has been achieved in the project yet though the federal government promised to complete the project within 48 months. However, the 420.6 km road when completed will link the North-central with the South-east and the North-east is said to be abandoned as there is no hope for the project’s completion anymore.
Nonetheless, the North-east is one of the regions facing a serious challenge of bad road network, especially from Plateau to Bauchi and Gombe states. The road linking Jos to Bauchi is one of the busiest roads in Nigeria recording a high number of passengers daily.
This results to ghastly road accidents daily leading to the loss of many lives and properties. In most cases, an accident occurs due to the high traffic on the road as it’s the only link from the North-central to the North-east.
The majority of the people of the North-east are agrarian farmers and herdsmen who use the road to convey their farm produce and cattle to the North-central, South-south, South-west and South-east regions of the nation for sale.
This implies that dualising the road linking the North-east to the North-central will stimulate the nation’s agribusiness in many aspects, ease the transportation of passengers, and reduce the number of accidents on the road.
Now, the 48 months have elapsed and there is no hope of the project. Therefore, it is at this point that I call on the Buhari government to urgently come to the aid of the North-east and complete the abandoned project immediately to accelerate the development of the nation.
Abandoning the project will add to the predicaments of the people of the North entirely as the road is one of the busiest roads in the Northern region and the country at large and even if for nothing to save lives.
Joseline Kefas,
Department of the Mass Communication,
University of Maiduguri, Borno state
On the dualisation Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road
