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In Two Weeks, Buhari Will Open 368 Kilometers Of Roads Across Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the 40.37-kilometer Nenwe, Oduma, and Uburu towns in Enugu and Ebonyi States, which connects the two South-eastern states.
It raises the president’s total number of roads commissioned across the country to three in the last two weeks.
The 304-kilometer Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road, which was inaugurated last Thursday, and the 24-kilometer Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road (Phase I and II) in Benue State, which was officially flagged off on Monday, November 29.
Buhari, who was represented at the event by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said the move demonstrated his administration’s commitment to improving road transportation infrastructure, ease of doing business, and job creation in his remarks before the official inauguration at the Ezinike-Oduma Village.
“The travel experience on modern and well-built highways,” he remarked as one aspect of change on those routes.
He pointed out that shorter traveling times as a result of improved road infrastructure meant lower travel expenses, and that lower travel expenses meant more money in travelers’ pockets.
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He explained that a circumstance in which a road’s former travel time, which averaged one hour 30 minutes prior to construction, was reduced to 30 minutes after completion saved both money and time.
Commuters were asked not to misuse the roads and to follow traffic rules and regulations, according to Buhari, who emphasized that the roads were created to the highest standards.
“Road abuse can take several forms, including overloading vehicles and trucks, which accelerates pavement degradation, and spilling petroleum products, which dissolves all of the components and allows water to infiltrate.”
“It also entails turning the road shoulders into permanent parking spaces.”
Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, said the commissioning highlighted the Buhari administration’s investment in road transportation and its impact on the people.
According to Fashola, who was represented by Mr. Bola Aganaba, Director Highways, South-East Zone, it was yet another illustration of what the country will face in the days and weeks ahead.
The 142.22 dual kilometres between Shuwarin and Azare connecting Jigawa and Bauchi States, as well as Section III of the 106.32 kilometres between Azare and Potiskum connecting Bauchi and Yobe States, are among the other handovers he mentioned.
Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Enugu State Governor, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Greg Nnaji, hailed road development as the cradle of civilisation in his remarks.
He recounted the dreadful experience commuters had prior to the Buhari administration’s completion of the route.
