Gombe Communities Seek FG’s Intervention Over Road Closure

Communities in Gombe local government area of Gombe State have appealed to the Federal Government over the hardship they are forced into following the closure of the only road linking them with the outside world by Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) as a result of a recent accident.

It was gathered that the road closure has lasted for more than seven weeks following the derailment of a 15-wagon goods train few meters away from the scene of the accident.

The engine head of the train and the wagon which almost rolled into a deep water are yet to be removed by authorities of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, whose responsibility it is.

It was also gathered that efforts were on going to remove the engine head and the wagon but later abandoned as no work is going on both at the scene and spot where access road to those villages was closed.

Spokesman of the communities, who pleaded anonymity, lamented that though the road poses no threat to the movement of trains to and out of Gombe Railway station located about three kilometers away from the spot and no work is in progress, authorities of NRC have failed to give reasons for the closure, thus making movement very difficult for the people.

The complaints of the communities revolve around economic hardship which the action has brought to the villages, thus forcing residents to resort to routes, which are impassable and hazardous to ply particularly during rainy season.

The communities are complaining that the action of NRC is already impacting negatively on them, therefore should hasten the opening of the road to eschew further excruciating hardship occasioned by this development.

Efforts to get officials of the NRC at the railway station for comments proved abortive as none of them was willing to speak because according to them only the area manager, who is based in Bauchi, has the authority to speak on the matter, said a source.