Ahead of yuletide, FERMA’s failure to fix potholes causes stir in states

Motorists plying federal roads in states across the North Central are worried about the worsening situation occasioned by potholes dotting the roads in the region. Some of the road users who spoke to our correspondent appealed to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to fix the potholes before the yuletide.   Several portions of federal […]

Motorists plying federal roads in states across the North Central are worried about the worsening situation occasioned by potholes dotting the roads in the region. Some of the road users who spoke to our correspondent appealed to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to fix the potholes before the yuletide.  

Several portions of federal roads in Benue State such as Makurdi-Yandev-Gboko, Makurdi-Naka-Adoka-Ankpa, Alaide-Gboko and Makurdi-Alaide-Otukpo, Gboko-Kastina-Ala-Zakibiam are begging for rehabilitation. 

A driver, Ushahemba Tagher, who plies the roads often said the Makurdi-Naka section was worst as it had completely broken down. 

“Plying the road is very difficult. You can imagine, Naka to Makurdi which ordinarily should be a journey of 35 minutes takes over an hour. If the government can rehabilitate it, we would be fine. The roads are now with very deep potholes in certain sections and it spoils tyres and shock absorbers, especially when one mistakenly hits a pothole,” he said.

Targher also said it was also a cause for concern along a particular bad portion on the Alaide-Makurdi road where robbers often waylaid motorists because of the several potholes there.

Similarly, another motorist, Terkula Kondo, who frequents the federal road between Alaide and Gboko, said, “Because of these potholes, big vehicles sometimes get stuck or fall thereby creating unnecessary hardship for other motorists. FERMA should please fix these potholes for us.”

When our correspondent visited FERMA field office in Makurdi, the head of the zonal maintenance, Evans Martins, was said to have gone on inspection of some works around the state.

Plateau

An important federal highway linking Jos, the Plateau State capital, and Kaduna has been left in ruins for over two decades thereby making motorists suffer discomfort and other challenges. The road which is characterised by potholes and some sections completely dilapidated has forced motorists to find alternative routes between Kaduna and Jos.

This is because the road has caused damage to cars and often makes journeys longer, which also contributes to the rise in criminal activities along the road as cars that slow down to avoid potholes are easily targeted by criminals.

The road cuts through Mista Ali, Zobolo and then Jingre, which borders Plateau and Kaduna states, while the Kaduna end commences from Federe, and links Saminaka, Ungwan Bawa, Kayarda, Yarkasuwa, Kudaru, Pambeguwa, Dandaura, Gadan Gaya, Turunku and Maraban-Jos, before connecting the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway.

A driver who plies Kaduna-Jos, Ashiru, said he passed through the road twice and that since then had vowed not to travel through the road because of the level of damage his car suffered during the trips.

Another motorist, Bala Timothy, said the potholes on the road punctured his tyres sometime back.

He said the portholes had also caused many accidents, and that other times vehicles trying to avoid the potholes rammed into other cars or people trekking along the road.  

The Chairman of the NTA Motor Park, Jos, Ibrahim Maikudi, said the road had caused many motorists, including their drivers a lot, such that even those going to Kano preferred to pass through Bauchi or Jigawa which were longer.

Meanwhile, recall that the Federal Controller of Works, Plateau State, Engineer Usman Abubakar, whose ministry is in charge of the road’s reconstruction, last year, said there were four construction companies working on the road and that all the portions had been duly shared among them.

He said the contractors had a mandate for each to finish their portion within three months, adding that their area of work coverage ended at the border, and would not extend into Kaduna State.

The contract he said was awarded at about N1.5bn, and that within the next few months the Plateau State end of the road was expected to be completed and the rest would be up to Kaduna to complete its end.

Kwara

In Kwara State, although many of the federal roads have left motorists, transporters and other roads users with frustrating tales over their deplorable conditions, many of the potholes and failed portions are receiving increased attention from the federal government.

A commercial driver who plies the Ajase-Ipo/Omu-Aran route, told Daily Trust that the previous situation was better imagined.

“But things have improved now. The former work at the Ijase axis was not solid at all and coupled with lack of drainage. The effect on the system is extra cost on us when we try to avoid these potholes by taking longer routes,” he said.  

Another motorist, Alhaji Oba Abdul, said although the condition of the Ilorin- Ogbomosho Expressway was bad, the road was presently being attended to by the federal government.

Speaking on the issue, the Kwara Federal Controller of Works, Alhaji Wasiu Atitebi, said works were ongoing on most of the roads, and that the road at Eyenkorin would soon get attention.

“We are currently doing a number of emergency interventions, patching of potholes and palliative work on places like Ilorin-Bode Saadu, Eleyeoka-Offa-Ijagbo-Erinle axis. The portion before Idofian has just been completed and also that of Osi.”

From Hope Abah Emmanuel (Makurdi), Dickson S. Adama (Jos) & Mumini AbdulKareem (Ilorin) Benue