FCT communities seek intervention on deplorable road

Residents of Zauda, Kaba and Kagini communities in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene in the rehabilitation and dualisation of the road linking their communities. The residents, who spoke with Abuja Metro on Monday, expressed concern over the poor […]

Residents of Zauda, Kaba and Kagini communities in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene in the rehabilitation and dualisation of the road linking their communities.

The residents, who spoke with Abuja Metro on Monday, expressed concern over the poor condition of the road, saying it has continued to cause hardship, especially during the rainy season.

According to them, the road has become increasingly difficult to use, affecting the movement of people and goods and hampering economic activities in the agrarian communities.

A resident of Zauda community, Mr. Isaac Barnabas, said the deplorable state of the road has negatively impacted socio-economic activities in the area, particularly farming.

He explained that community members often mobilise themselves to carry out temporary repairs on portions of the road to enable farmers transport their produce to markets.

“Whenever it rains, we have to come together, including the youths, with hoes and cutlasses to repair sections of the road damaged by erosion before farmers can move their crops to the market,” he said.

Barnabas appealed to the minister to fulfil the promise of constructing the access road, describing it as critical to improving transportation, economic activities, healthcare access, education and the overall quality of life of residents.

Another Kagini resident, Mr. Solomon Ayuba, said the three communities, whose inhabitants are predominantly farmers, have long suffered from the lack of a good road network.

He noted that the road becomes almost impassable during the rainy season, making it difficult for residents to access neighbouring communities and markets.

“The road becomes worse and sometimes impossible to use during the rainy season. We are appealing to the minister to come to our aid by rehabilitating the road to boost socio-economic activities in the area,” he said.

Ayuba commended Wike for ongoing infrastructure projects across the FCT and urged him to extend similar development to the communities.

“Although the FCT Minister has been doing his best in terms of infrastructure development across the territory, we are appealing to him to also remember the people of Zauda, Kaba and Kagini communities,” he added.

A community leader, Baba Yakubu, also lamented the difficulties residents face, especially farmers who rely on the road to transport agricultural produce.

He acknowledged the efforts of both the FCT minister and the AMAC chairman in infrastructure development but urged them to prioritise the road project.

“We appreciate the ongoing infrastructural projects being executed across the FCT. We also acknowledge the efforts of the AMAC chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, in improving rural infrastructure,” he said.

“I appeal to him to liaise with the minister to ensure that the Kagini-Zauda road receives urgent attention. By the time this road is dualised, it will bring development, ease movement and improve the living conditions of our people.”

Responding to the concerns, a senior official in the Works Department of AMAC, Mr. Alfred Zacharia, said the council chairman had already drawn the minister’s attention to the road.

 

 

“In fact, the minister had promised to construct the road during his inspection of one of the road projects in AMAC last week,” Zacharia said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

 

 

“I believe that immediately after the commissioning of the completed projects currently underway, the road will be awarded for construction,” he added.