More Nigerians Bemoan State Of Roads

Being a survey conducted by the New Agency of Nigeria.

The provision of critical infrastructure, particularly in the area of intra-state and inter-state roads, is a major challenge the state governments are grappling with as they settle  down to prioritise their transformation programmes.

For many years now, there have been strident public criticisms of the deplorable state of the road network in most states of the federation.

More worrisome to the public, particularly major stakeholders,  is the fact that in spite of the huge budgetary allocations made to the sector in recent years by the various state governments, there has been no appreciable improvement in the condition of the roads.

A recent survey shows that the development has impacted negatively on commerce and the socio-economic lives of the people, resulting in high cost of transportation  and food stuffs, thereby leaving the tax-paying masses to bear the brunt.

For instance in Edo State, some of the roads constructed by Dr Samuel Ogbemudia’s administration in the defunct Bendel, have not  received any face-lift for many years.

Officials told newsmen that this was why Governor Adams Oshiomhole had  made road construction and rehabilitation one of his key priority areas.

He has consequently devoted 65 per cent of the capital vote in the 2011 budget to the road and education sectors.

Of the N105.63 billion budget outlay, N61.772 billion was set aside for capital projects.

The first major road projects executed during his first tenure were in Benin, the state capital.

Some of them are Oba Market Road, the Gani Fawehinmi Layout Roads and Stadium Road.

Construction work is currently at different stages on nine major road projects within Benin, while work is in progress on 18 inter-city roads, covering more than 334 kilometers  and 350 communities.

Some of the inter-city roads are those of Iguobazuwa-Umaza-Siluko,  Jattu-Afowa-Iyora-Apana, Uhen-Olumoye, Ekperi-Anegbette, Igueben-Ido and Iyamho-Iyora, among others.

Mr Edwin Osagie, who lives in Upper Sakpoba area, where the reconstruction work is in progress, said the people are ready to endure the pains occasioned by the projects.

However, while efforts are being made by the state government to upgrade its roads, the same cannot be said of federal roads in the area.

According to a resident, it is a nightmare travelling on the Uselu-Lagos Federal Road within Benin City as a result of its deplorable condition.

There are two notorious spots at the “Five Junction’’ and “Adolor Junction,’’ which usually result in heavy traffic jam, especially anytime it  rains.

Commuters moving from King Square to University of Benin main gate, and from New Benin to University of Benin, usually pay higher fares whenever it rains.

Residents of Auchi, in Etsako West Local Government Area, said the deplorable state of roads in the area was impacting negatively on their means of livelihood. Some of them  who spoke with NAN noted with regret that the market for their farm produce had been greatly affected, as customers who travelled from other places to patronise them were no longer doing so, owing to the poor state of the roads.

Investigation shows that while the state government can be said to be doing well in  road construction to link communities in the area, the same cannot be said of the federal roads that connect cities.

One of them is the Auchi-Igarra Road, which does not only link several communities in Akoko-Edo and Etsako West Local Government Area, but also serves as a link road between Edo and Ondo State.

As the rains set in, the road is becoming inaccessible as a result of the abandonment of one of the bridges which collapsed in July 2010. Contract for its reconstruction was awarded to Setraco Construction Company.

A resident, Mr Bartholomew Edigan, said the development had not only affected commerce, but had created nightmares to parents whose children school at Igarra.

“It has really been a horrifying experience travelling through the road from Auchi to Igarra daily.

“Commerce is worst hit, as the number of traders who travel to the popular Ibillo and Igarra markets has declined as a result of the poor condition of the road.’’

An employee of the construction company told NAN that the project was abandoned due to the inability of government to release funds for its completion.

Another federal road that calls for urgent attention is the Okene-Auchi-Benin Road, where a portion has collapsed, resulting in traffic diversion through Jattu town.

The collapsed portion serves as a link road between the northern and eastern parts of the country.

Another resident painted a gory picture of what commuters and motorists have been made to go through at the failed portion of the Ifon-Sabongida-Ora-Iruekpen Road, noting with regret that several lives had been lost, due to the terrible state of the road, especially at the failed portion, near Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN).

“There is no bank in the whole of Owan West Local Government Area, and for that reason, the people of the area have to travel to Ekpoma for any bank transactions, and we must pass through the spot that has killed many people or caused permanent disabilities.’’

In  Borno State, Government says it has constructed more than 40 roads covering about 260 kilometers and 480 drains across the 27 local government areas at the cost of N17 billion.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Alhaji Mohammed Chellube, told NAN that the township roads and drains included Bolori ward network,Umarari Jajari ward Road, Gwange road, London Cikin Road and Bulumkutu Ngomari ward roads.

He said that following the purchase of construction equipment and establishment of the State Roads Management Agency (SRMA), Gwoza-Izge,Yimirshika-Sakwa-Marama feeder roads had also been constructed.

Chellube said contract for the rehabilitation of Bama and Uba-Gwoza roads had been awarded and contractors would soon commence work on the projects.

The state Chairman of National Association of Truck Owners (NATO), Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, in an interview with NAN, appealed to government to expedite action on the repair of Bama Road.

He said that truck drivers often found it difficult to ply the highway which connects Borno with the Republic Cameroun.

Alkali said the numerous potholes on the road were responsible for frequent accidents, which had claimed many lives and destroyed   several trucks.

Mr David Bawa, a farmer in Pulka village, Gwoza, also appealed to  government to rehabilitate all the feeder roads in the area to enable farmers to transport their produce easily to the market.

“As a result of the terrible state of our rural roads,we usually find it difficult to convey our farm produce home and to nearby market, leading to the destruction of some perishable produce before being conveyed to  their destinations.’’

He said government should continue to give priority to construction and rehabilitation of roads across the state to facilitate movement of rural dwellers from their various localities to the state capital.

In Lagos, 30-year-old Lagos-Ibadan Expressway remains largely a death trap, as its many lanes have now become inadequate for its increased volume of daily vehicular traffic.

Drivers of articulated vehicles (trailers and petrol tankers) have turned sections of it into parking lots, causing not just traffic snarls, but several accidents that have claimed many lives.

The Expressway has been on concession to Bi-Courtney for N90 billion since 2009. The company is expected to build, operate and then transfer to the Federal Government after 30 years. It will also install toll gates to recoup its investment.

The company is, however, considered very slow by road users in its effort to expand the 120-kilometer highway that is expected to have eight lanes from Lagos to Sagamu interchange, and six lanes from Sagamu to Ibadan. Sagamu is about equidistant from Lagos and Ibadan.

The first phase is expected to be completed in two years. Enumeration of houses and other landed property to be affected by the project is currently being carried out.

The 57-kilometer Lagos-Badagry-Seme Border Town highway is also pothole-riddled, in spite of  being a strategic route to neighbouring ECOWAS nations.

The Lagos-Badagry section of the road is being upgraded by the state government into a 10-lane autobahn that will be complemented with a light rail line.

Work on the first slot of the project, between Costain and Festac First Gate (10-km), is in progress and being jointly handled by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC).

The Lagos-Lekki-Epe Road is about the best inter-city road in Lagos State. It is, however, engulfed in a controversy, as its concessionaire, Hi-Tech Construction, is facing opposition from road users over its decision to install toll gates to recoup its money.

The 20-km road between Lagos and Ikorodu, which was dualised by the Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa military administration in 1999, has lost its shine, because many portions have failed.

Crisscrossed by rivers and lagoons, many portions of the Lagos-Ikorodu Road are often flooded during the rainy season, leading to motorists spending an entire day on the short distance.

The Abeokuta-Lagos road, via Sango and Ota is dualised but has become too narrow for its heavy traffic. Besides, the road is in a deplorable situation as craters, not just mere potholes, create traffic bottlenecks on many parts of it.

Although the Oshodi-Apapa Port highway is busy 24-hours a day with mostly heavy-duty trucks plying it, with all manner of imported goods from the twin ports of Apapa and Tin Can Island, and local products for export, it is in a terribly shape.

Portions of the road 35-year-old road are flooded at Ilasamaja, Cele Fatgbems/Mile Two and Berger spots.

The West Minister-Tin Can Island-Apapa Wharf axis of the road is full of large potholes and remains heavily flooded during the rainy season.

Operators at the Lagos ports have complained about the deteriorating condition of the port access roads and the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway.

Right from the petroleum tank farms operational areas at Trinity Bus Stop to PTML Terminal, to the Tin-Can Island Port second gate on Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, there has been recurring standstill by container-laden trucks, private vehicles and petroleum tankers.

NAN investigation shows that the traffic snarl on the port roads is gradually giving way to port congestion, as consignments that had been duly cleared from various ports and terminals have not been moved out of the complex, while incoming trucks cannot also move in.

The President, Institute of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (IFFN), Mr Zebulon Ikokide, said the Lagos State Government should repair the roads leading to the two major ports, because it had been benefitting from the seaports by collecting wharf landing fees on all cargoes leaving the seaports.

He said the poor state of the roads had reduced the number of goods leaving the seaports, delayed ship berths and wasted importers’ time.

Ikokide noted with regret that on many occasions, container-laden trucks fell on the highway, with investors losing all they had worked for, adding that most often, such accidents had claimed lives.

Mr Ejike Mgbemena, Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, says contracts for the repair of federal roads in the state have just been awarded.

He said the Lagos-Abeokuta Express road had been re-awarded to Julius Berger Plc for complete refurbishment, and promised that work would soon commence on the project.

Mgbemena said contract for the second section of Apapa-Oshodi Expressway had also been awarded to Julius Berger Plc and work was ongoing.

He said contract for the Muritala Muhammed International Airport Road would soon be awarded, while contractors were already on site on the Lagos-Ikorodu Road.

NAN reports that most state and local government roads in Lagos are not faring better. The popular Ikorodu Road, from Ketu to Yaba, is, however, in a fairly good condition.

Mr Sunday Gabriel, a businessman who lives on Alagbado Road, near the border with Ogun, said roads in the area had been long overdue for repair.

He said the poor condition of the roads had contributed to so many accidents in the area.

The lack of fund has been blamed for the slow pace of construction on the Isheri Oshun-Ijegun Road by the HITECH Construction Company Ltd. A reliable source at the company told NAN that it could not help but slow down, because the fund needed for the rehabilitation had not been released by government.

Mr Gbenga Akintoba, the Executive Chairman, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, told NAN that the state had fixed 450 roads in the last 10 months.

He promised to make Lagos roads pothole-free by 2012. He said the focus of the corporation, for now, were the densely populated areas, such as Alimosho and Ikorodu that had the worst road network in the state.

Akintoba, however, admitted that as hard as the state and its agencies had worked in fixing the roads, many of them were still in poor condition.

He explained that the corporation had the largest asphalt plant in West Africa, with the capacity to produce 300 million tonnes annually.

This, he noted, would help the corporation with a 500-man workforce to achieve a pothole free Lagos by 2012.

The Osun State Government has voted N14.5 billion, representing 26.40

per cent of its 2011 capital budget to road rehabilitation.

Chief Abiodun Akintaro, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, told NAN that government had made budget provision for the rehabilitation of some 30 road projects.

Some of the roads listed for rehabilitation include Ada-Igbajo-Oke Irun-Iresi network, linking Okuku, Inisa, Okua, Ekosin, Ekusa, Igbaye and Ira.

Others are the various zonal township roads, such as Ajaba-Ikoro, Osogbo, Ilesa, Iwo, Ede, Ife and Ikirun, among others.

Those to be constructed afresh are Ede-Kuta, Ilesa-Eisun-Ido Oko-Ibala-Ijana-Idoka, and the Ijjebu-Jesa-Ere-Ibokun Road.

Akintaro said Gov. Rauf Aregbesola had expressed his determination to fix most of the affected roads in order to ease transportation and boost the economy.

He said efforts would be made to execute some of the uncompleted road projects embarked upon by the immediate past administration in the current fiscal year.

NAN reports that although, the state has no road rehabilitation agency, the Ministry of Works collaborates with the Ministry of Finance to award and monitor road contracts.

Retired Col. Enibukun Oyewole, the Commandant, Osun youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), told NAN that the adverse condition of the roads on the people’s socio-economic life called for immediate action.

He said this was why Aregbesola came up with a comprehensive list of bad roads that were earmarked for rehabilitation to ease transportation of farm produce from rural to urban centres.

Besides the conventional use of contractors, Oyewole said volunteers of the scheme were also involved in road rehabilitation projects, especially in the area of maintenance.

He said some of the volunteers were currently working on the Asejire Expressway, clearing gutters and road edges.

Mr Aina Babatunde, an engineer with FERMA, said there was enough proof of the agency’s presence in the state.

He listed road projects which he said the agency had carried out in the state to include the Ibadan-Ife dual carriage road, where line drain and bus culvert were constructed.

Others are Ife-Ilesa, Ilesa-Owena-Akure, Gbongan-Iwo and Gbongan Osogbo roads, where he said the agency had awarded and supervised drainage projects, construction of culverts and laying of asphalt.

Mr Tope Akadir, Assistant Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, said the ministry was doing its best to make the people have a feel of federal presence.

Mr Jadesola Adeoti, a peasant farmer at Owode area of Osogbo, scored the immediate past government low in the area of road projects, and urged the current  administration to improve on the sector.

He noted that the lack of good roads, especially in some rural areas linking Osogbo, had hindered transportation of farm produce.

Motorists and road users in Zamfara have decried the pathetic state of dilapidation of major intra-state road network linking local government headquarters with other parts of the state.

NAN reports that apart from Tsafe, Maru and Mafara Local Government Headquarters that enjoy Federal Government’s rehabilitation of the Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto highway, accessing other local government headquarters by road has remained a herculean task.

Abdullahi Yusuf, a commercial bus driver, told NAN that the entire road network in Zamfara had collapsed, noting that the immediate past administration in the state did not do much to improve the situation during its four year tenure.

“Just try to reach Kauran Namoda, Zurmi and Birnin Magaji, by road, or attempt to go to Gummi, through Anka-Bukkuyyum Road, you will ever regret going to those places because of bad roads.’’

Abubakar Sani, a resident of Gusau, the state capital,said that most roads within Gusau metropolis were begging for rehabilitation, while more roads needed to be constructed.

He cited as an example, the Lalan to Lalan Road on Sokoto Bye Pass in Gusau, which contract for dualisation was awarded to Habib Engineering Nigeria Ltd four years ago by the last administration in the state, but was abandoned at less than 50 per cent completion stage.

He said the road would have addressed traffic congestion in the state capital if government was interested in completing it.

The state government recently reviewed the road contract from N1.2 billion to N750 million, and reawarded it to the same firm with a marching order  that it should complete the project on schedule.

An official of the state ministry of works told  NAN that new administration in the state was aware of the challenging state of road network across the state and was addressing the issue.

“The new administration knows the challenge poor road network poses to the economy and social well being of the people, and is tackling it head-on as a matter of priority.’’.

NAN reports that between four and five hours are spent by motorists on the 200 kilometer Anka-Bukkuyyum-Gummi Road, which links the three local government headquarters with other parts of the state.

Residents of Ogun have lamented the deplorable condition of most of the inter-city roads in the state, calling on Gov. Ibikunle Amosun to carry out massive rehabilitation of the roads.

Some of the people who spoke with NAN, expressed regret that the situation had adversely affected the socio-economic life of the state.

They said that except concerted efforts were made by government to carry out a wholesale rehabilitation of the roads, the socio-economic life of the state might continue to be affected.

Mr Haruna Adekunjo, the NURTW Chairman, Kuto Motor Park, said members were recording huge cost of maintenance on their vehicles as a result of the poor condition of the roads.

He attributed the high cost of transportation to the huge amount being spent on  maintenance of vehicles.

Mr Rafiu Ayinla, a commercial vehicle driver, lamented the several accidents that the bad roads had caused, particularly at night.

Mrs Yewande Bello, a teacher, said that a lot of man-hour was being wasted before getting to their respective places of work, owing to traffic congestion caused by bad roads.

“Government should focus on massive road rehabilitation and reconstruction. This is the only way to put an end to the hardship being experienced by commuters.’’

NAN reports that Gov. Ibikunle Amosun had on June 29 while marking his 30 days in office, expressed concern over the state of the roads across Ogun.

This, he said, had spurred him into ordering that filling of potholes be commenced immediately on major roads within Abeokuta, the state capital.

NAN also reports that most of the rehabilitation work during the immediate past administration of Chief Gbenga Daniel were being carried out by the state Road Maintenance Agency (OGROMA).

Questions were, however, raised over the quality of work done by the agency, as most of the roads and bridges were swept away during the rainy season of 2010.

A top government official told NAN that funding had been the bane of road rehabilitation by the past government.

“There are so many ongoing projects, but the lack of funds has been hindering their completion.

“Most of the contractors were either not paid the mobilisation fee, or short-paid, a situation that always resulted in non-completion of some of the projects.’’

He said that some of the roads which rehabilitation commenced in 2009, had yet to be completed, owing to non-availability of funds.

“Some roads were actually designed to ease traffic congestion, but because they were not completed, the problem still persists on major roads in the state.

“The situation is not only restricted to Abeokuta alone, other roads in Otta, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode and Ilaro are equally affected.’’

The official cited the case of the road linking Ijeun-Titun to the State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, saying it was designed to ease traffic at the NNPC Junction in Abeokuta, but had been abandoned.

Mr Sunday Olaogun, the state Project Officer, FERMA, also said that the agency had embarked on the rehabilitation of some roads in the state.

He listed the roads to include Iporo-Ake, Ijaiye, Adatan, Randa and Lafenwa.

The Chairman, NURTW, Kwara chapter, Alhaji Aliyu Bashir, has blamed the increase in road accidents in recent time on poor conditions of federal roads

He told NAN that the rainy season had also worsened the condition of the poor roads and made driving very difficult.

According to him, most of the federal roads in the state, except Ilorin to Ajase-Ipo, are not in good condition.

Bashir appealed to the Federal Government to give top priority to the issue of road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance in the interest of the suffering poor masses who could not afford to travel by air.

“The current deplorable condition of roads nationwide calls for urgent attention. Our members are more at the receiving end, because our vehicles are being damaged.’’

He advised government to curb heavy duty vehicles from carrying load beyond their capacities, noting that articulated vehicles were responsible for the damage done to most of the roads.

A senior official in the Federal Ministry of Works in Ilorin told NAN that all federal roads in the state were averagely in good shape, compared to some in other states.

He said the ministry was doing everything possible to ensure that the roads were pothole-free and motorable at all times.

“The Ilorin-Ogbomosho axis of Ilorin-Ibadan Expressway is almost 100 per cent completed, with a little job to be done on Oyo-Ibadan section, while work is ongoing on the Ogbomoso-Oyo route”.

No fewer than six lives and goods worth millions of naira may have been lost to the collapse of Ohan and Moro bridges in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara in the last one month.

NAN reports that the two bridges are now regular spots where men of the underworld have been operating, unleashing terror on unsuspecting commuters plying the road.

A community leader in Alapa Village, Alhaji Saka Anafi,  said the two bridges had become death traps for vehicles and motorcycles plying the road.

He appealed to the federal and state governments to come to the assistance of the communities by reconstructing the bridges so that they would not be cut off from the rest of the world.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Mashood Mustapha, who paid an assessment visit to the area, assured them that government would look into their plight.

He also inspected the collapsed Moro bridge in company of some expatriates, and

Urged the Federal Government to intervene to prevent further carnage on the two bridges.

The lawmaker promised to move a motion on the floor of the House on the urgent need for the Federal Government to direct relevant agencies to expedite action on the reconstruction of the two bridges to prevent loss of lives.

Mr Adedoyin Aina, Assitant Director, FERMA, told NAN that about 1,028 kilometres of road in Kwara belonged to the Federal Government, with 248 kilometres yet to be tarred.

He said the agency had just concluded general repair and pavement strengthening of Share-Lafiagi Road.

“We just concluded what we call general repair and pavement strengthening of Share-Lafiagi Road, and we have four major general maintenance repair on the Ilorin-Igbeti-Ighoho-Saki Road, Akure-Ado Ekiti-Omu Aran Road, Ilorin-Omu Aran-Egbe Road and special maintenance of Ajase-Offa-Osun state boarder Road.’’

Katsina State is said to be blessed with good motorable roads constructed by both the state  and federal governments.

All the 27 tarred roads totaling 520 kilometers constructed by the state government in the last four years, are in good condition, while the 10 federal roads across the state are also in good shape.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Housing, Alhaji  Danjuma  Alti, said all the roads constructed by the state government were of high quality.

According to him, this year, the state government has voted N18. 5 billion for the construction of more roads across the state, while 32-kilometer feeder roads will be constructed in each of the 34 local government areas of the state.

The state government also established a road maintenance agency (KSROMA) last year for the maintenance and rehabilitation of state roads, Alti added.

He said that equipment worth N84 million were purchased for the agency, while N5 million was being given to it monthly to facilitate its operations.

Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu Chomalwa, the Controller, Federal Ministry of Works in the state, said “all federal highways in the state are in good condition, including the Funtua-Malumfashi-Dayi-Yashe Road, which is under rehabilitation’’.

“We are lucky in Katsina as all our roads are in good condition, and there are no abandoned road projects in the state.’’

A member of NURTW, Malam Ibrahim Sanusi, who expressed satisfaction on the state of roads in the state, said they had played a very important role in the improvement of socio-economic activities of the populace.

“Infact, there is no state that has good roads like Katsina in the federation.’’

Source: NAN Nationwide survey.