Host communities along the Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road corridor, Thursday, hailed the Federal Government as President Muhammadu Buhari formally commissioned and opened the road for use, calling on commuters to always comply with the nation’s Highway Code in order for the road and others being built across the country to attain their design life. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, while corroborating the President’s call, said the 304 kilometre road represented the first of many more project completion and handovers Nigerians would experience in the next few weeks and months as the nation enters what he described as “a season of completion and impact”. The President, who was represented by the Attorney- General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, said as the Federal Government remains committed to delivering on its promise to give Nigerians good and quality road network, it was incumbent on the people not to abuse the roads in order to enable them service the nation through their design life.
The President, who listed such abuses to include overloading of vehicles and trucks, spilling of petroleum products and converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places, explained that while overloading accelerates pavement damage, spilling of petroleum products dissolves the road components and allows water to penetrate. Converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places, he said, brings the onset of road failure from the shoulder.
“We must all do our best to avoid these practices, report them when they occur and act in a lawful manner to stop them”, the President said adding that the commissioned road, which links Sokoto and Kebbi State, “has been built to the highest quality of design and workmanship and if well used and not abused, should last for the designed service life”.