…Fashola appeals to Nigerians to report washouts on roads
By Dele Ogbodo
The federal government has awarded the rehabilitation of Mayo Belwa-Jada-Ganye-Toungo road in Adamawa State to Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited for N22.7 billion. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, who was represented by his surrogates ministers 1 and 11: Mustapha Baba Shehuri and Suleiman Hassan Zarma, at the flag off ceremony in Mayo Belwa town, weekend, disclosed that the 112km road was due for rehabilitation having been built since 1999, SHARPEDGENEWSOnline learnt.
According to statement by the ministry’s Director of Information, Mr. Theodore Ogaziachi, quoted Fashola as saying that the road, which is presently characterized with failed sections, potholes, alligator cracks, depressions and washouts at the edges, is an important economic route which links and passes through the agriculturally predominant towns of Mararaba, Jamtari, Jada, Dashen, Ganye and Toungo. It also leads to the neighbouring Taraba State.
The statement partly read: “The contract which has a completion period of 36 months, the minister said, provides for the reconstruction of 112km road to a required 7.3m carriageway width and 2.75m shoulders. The carriageway, he noted, is to be overlaid with 60mm asphalt concrete binder course, 40mm asphalt concrete wearing course with pavement of 200mm thick and 200mm stone base.”
Other ancillary benefits to the road users on that corridor, Fashola added, include stone pitching, kerbs and chutes to avoid washouts, kilometre posts and most importantly, road signs to give direction and make driving less cumbersome and pleasurable.
In his response, the Governor of Adamawa State, Senator Bindow Umaru Jubrilla thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly for finding it worthy to invest so much on the corridor stating that government is bound to generate huge revenue from the investment in the area of increased rice production and livestock farming.
In another development, the Ministeron Sunday appealed to Nigerians to immediately report any washouts on roads immediately across the country to the Federal Highways.
The persistent rainfall in the month has cause washouts threatening danger to travelers and motorists.
The Minister has also ordered contractors to road washouts at 5 different locations across the country as a result of the seasonal occurrences which arose from heavy downpours, explaining that the embankment washouts include km 7+250 from Bida, along recently awarded Lambata-Lapai-Bida road project to Messrs CGC Nig. Plc, immediately after the Nigerian Cereal Institute in Niger State. The contractor has commenced immediate mobilization to site on the directive of the ministry and will commence emergency reinstatement work by tomorrow Sunday August 26th to enable free flow of traffic. Also in Niger State is the Armco Pipe collapse at km 16 along Bida – Minna, Niger State road. The Niger State Government has commissioned a Federal contractor on that corridor, Messrs Triacta Nig. Plc to restore the anomaly for safe passage.
The other washouts, according to him, include the ones at Kwaita bridge along Abuja – Lokoja carriage way where the subsisting contractor, Reynolds Construction Company has been directed to commence immediate remedial works; embarkment washout at Bayo LGA on the road linking Gombe – Biu in Borno State where FIK Construction Company on the corridor has been directed to move in and commence palliative measures and finally the embankment washout at Jabbi-Lamba Village along Yola – Mubi road before Girei LGA.