The Senate has urged the Federal Ministry of Works to commence immediate rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Bauchi-Ningi Federal highway, following its deplorable state.
It also urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to commence immediate rehabilitation of the failed portions of the road, given its strategic importance as major link between North-East and North-West geo-political zones.
This followed adoption of a motion at plenary moved under order 41 and 51 of senate standing rules and sponsored by Sen. Abdul Ningi (ADC-Bauchi) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ningi in his motion, said the Bauchi-Ningi federal highway was a strategic transport corridor linking the North-East and the North-West political zones.
He said the road was constructed in 1980s and had suffered decades of neglect without any major rehabilitation system.
He said persistent abandonment, increasing traffic volume, absence of periodic maintenance had reduced the highway to a state of total disrepair with extensive pavement failures, deep fault holes.
This, he said had eroded sections that have turned the road into a dead trap to commuters and other road users.
He said the unfavorable condition of the highway had drastically increased travel time, such that a journey of approximately one hour between Bauchi and Ningi , covering about 100 kilometers, now takes close to four hours, with the attendant increases in transportation costs,
He said this has also resulted to loss of productive man-hours and disruption of economic activities.
Ningi said persistent deterioration of the road had exposed commuters to frequent road traffic crashes, armed robbery and other security threats.
According to him, vehicles are compelled to slow down or remain stranded for prolonged periods on parallel sections of the highway.
He expressed worry that the continual neglect of this critical highway had adversely affected interstate commerce, agricultural value chain and regional integration.
This, he said was undermining the federal government’s commitment to economic growth, national connectivity and transportation.
He expressed concern that unless urgent intervention was taken, the continued deterioration of the Bauchi-Ningi federal highway would further endanger the lives and property of Nigerians.
“It will continue to defeat economic activities, continue to increase the cost of transportation and exacerbate the hardship currently faced by Nigerians.”
Contributing, Sen.Babangida Hussaini (APC-Jigawa), urged the Federal Government to redesign and reconstruct the road, given its deplorable state.
Senate, thereafter, mandated the committee of works to undertake on the spot assessment of condition of the road, engage relevant stakeholders and report back to plenary within four weeks with recommendations for legislative action.
Deputy President of Senate, Sen. Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano) who presided over the plenary, commended the sponsor of the motion, saying that the road was in a deplorable state.
He said the road if reconstructed would further promote economic activities in zones.
