By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
Some motorists and traders in Kebbi, have lauded President Bola Tinubu for the commencement of repairs on dilapidated Malando-Ngaski-Wara in Kebbi and Auna road in Niger, linking Northern and Southern parts of the country.
The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, had commenced rehabilitation of the dilapidated road on Monday.
The road is very strategic and important for economic and social activities as it links Northern and Southern parts of the country from Kebbi.
In separate interviews on Tuesday, motorists and traders expressed delight and commendation to the president for the award of the contract and the commencement of the project.
Musa Hussain, a commercial driver, commended the federal government for awarding the project, saying that they would heave a sigh after protracted and untold hardship plying the road.
“Any driver who knows what we have gone through and sees that the contract for the rehabilitation of the road is awarded and work commenced must certainly express gratitude to Mr. President for putting plans in place to complete the project.
“The president’s swift response to the passionate appeal of Kebbi people to address road infrastructure challenges in the state is commendable, because there is no way economic fortunes of the Northern Nigeria can boost on dilapidated roads,” he said.
Hussaini also urged drivers to complement government’s efforts of preventing road accidents through provision of good roads by avoiding speeding and overloading.
Also, Malam Nuhu Yauri, a trader, lauded the federal government for the rehabilitation of the road, saying that the road if repaired, would help traders transport their goods easily to Southern part of the country.
“The rehabilitation of the road will ease the suffering we face in our vehicular movements from Kebbi to Southern part of the country, especially during the rainy season.
“We were sometimes thrown in oblivion, thinking that the dilapidated road might take longer time before repairs begin and now it has begun, we are happy, and we are thankful to the president for saving our lives, goods and that of passengers,” he said.
Yauri urged the motorists to drive safely and abide by the road safety rules and regulations in order to protect lives, property and infrastructure in the area.
On his part, Malam Yahaya Warra, a farmer who cultivates his farmlands along the road, commended the federal government for saving their farmlands.
He said,” We could not cultivate our farmlands during the rainy season because its tantamount to waste of time, energy and resources.
“Anytime we cultivate our farmlands along the road, the water, when it rains, washes away everything. We only cultivate after the rainy season.”
On his part, the Managing Director of Epsilon Sky Global Engineering Limited, Mr Marcel Hattab, said that his company is the firm handling the rehabilitation on dilapidated Malando-Ngaski-Warra road in Kebbi state to Auna, in Niger.
“We have been assured and we, too, will ensure that quality work is executed on that 76.5 kilometers federal road,” he said.
He also explained that the road would have 2.7 meters concrete shoulders on both sides to stabilise it, two layers of asphalt and stone base layers, among others.
According to him, the road will be completed in less than the 28 months contractual period.
Hattab thanked the federal government, Gov. Nasir Idris and state Ministry of Works for the opportunity to rehabilitate the road, assuring that it would be completed within one and a half years period.