N500m contract debt unsettles Kano motorists, residents

Kano State government’s inability to pay contractors of the Gadon-Kaya underpass project N500 million debt has thrown both motorists and residents of the project area in dire straits.  Gadon-Kaya underpass in Kano, Kano State is first of its kind in northern Nigeria. The project was conceived and executed by the immediate past governor of the […]

Kano State government’s inability to pay contractors of the Gadon-Kaya underpass project N500 million debt has thrown both motorists and residents of the project area in dire straits. 
Gadon-Kaya underpass in Kano, Kano State is first of its kind in northern Nigeria. The project was conceived and executed by the immediate past governor of the state Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. The contract was awarded to Rocad Construction Limited at the cost of N700 million. Upon completion, the road was named after the late governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu.
The contract consists among other things, construction of the underpass, streetlights; crush barrier and four diversion roads. The project, Daily Trust gathered was aimed at reducing traffic at the busy Aminu Kano way by Gadon-Kaya junction.
It was observed that although the traffic was reduced in the area following construction of the underpass, motorists and other road users using the road have been subjected to some hardship following non completion of the four diversion roads, almost a year after commissioning of the underpass.
Checks on the site by this reporter indicated that the main underpass was completed and all the streetlights fixed, but the four diversion roads on the sides of the underpass were abandoned by the contractor, thereby subjecting road users to hardship.
Road users heading to NNDC quarters from Kofar Fanfo and those coming from the NNDC quarters to Kofar Dan-Agundi through Aminu Kano Way face difficulties because of the bad condition of the diversion roads. Motorists driving from Kofar Gadon-Kaya to Kofar-Fanfo through Aminu Kano Way and those coming from Kofar Dan-Agundi to Gadon-Kaya through Aminu Kano Way equally face similar difficulties.
The abandoned project has also become a threat to organizations and individuals that do businesses in the area. The worst hit among the affected organizations is the popular Makkah Eye Hospital which is located directly opposite one of the diversion roads. Patients who visit the hospital swim in a pool of dust that emanates from the uncompleted road. Almost half of the road is carved out on the premises of the hospital.
A staff of the hospital who craved anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press said management of the hospital had  devised a means of controlling the dust to save its patients.
He said, “Management has dedicated two people who always pour water on the uncompleted road so as to reduce the dust from it. As you can see, the entire hospital is covered by dust. You can see an eye hospital taken over by dust. You need not be told how patients in this hospital are suffering from the abandoned project.”
Similarly, worshippers at the Tijjaniyah Juma’at mosque, Gadon-Kaya are among the worst affected people by the uncompleted project. Like Makkah Hospital, the Juma’at mosque is always covered in dust kick up as they pass by on uncompleted road. An attendant in the mosque, Isma’il Babangida lamented saying they have been battling with dust since the commencement of the project.
He said, “We clean the mosque at least six to seven times every day because of the dust.” Babangida called on the state government to come to the rescue of the mosque by completing the project.
Residents of the area and motorists who spoke to Daily Trust decried the non-completion of the project, saying they are facing serious problem.
 Aliyu Abdullahi, a commercial driver, lamented, “If not because two important institutions – Aminu Kano College of Legal Studies and Bayero University Kano (Old Campus) are located in the area, I would have deserted the area. It is irritating plying these diversion roads. We enjoy only the main underpass. Once you are going through the diversion roads, you face difficulties especially in the morning and evening hours when the traffic is much.”
He added that drivers face more trouble during rainy season because the entire road is flooded whenever it rains, hence, subjecting road users to hardships.
 “I’m sure many drivers are patronizing the roads because they have no alternative routes. If there is alternative road that can easily link motorists to NNDC quarters from BUK or Aminu Kano College of Legal Studies, I am sure they will prefer taking the alternative road no matter the distance,” he said.
Another motorist, Isma’ila Jibril, who commended former governor  Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for constructing the road, however,