SIR: There are no words or phrases that Toro people can sufficiently use to thank the Bauchi State governor, Bala Muhammad Abdulkadir for the ongoing construction of the Magama Gumau-Saminaka, Marraba Ganye-Bakin Kogi and Rimini Zayan-Dass roads.
Similarly, the administration’s giant stride toward the continuation of the oil exploration in the Kolmani River in Bauchi and Gombe states in the quest to ensure Bauchi State is listed among the oil-producing state is indeed historic, and we appreciate it. No doubt the governor has impacted positively the life of the Bauchi populace and Nigerians as a whole.
However, we wish to highlight the case of the Magama junction along the Magama Gumau-Saminaka Road. The Magama junction is a narrow T-junction located in the middle of the town along Bauchi-Jos road. The junction links three states of Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states apart from Plateau State.
The road is one of the busiest roads in the northeast hence highly congested. It is the meeting point of motorists, tri-cyclists and Okada riders. Still, cars and buses heading to Kano, Jos, Bauchi and Kaduna are packed at the junction to fetch passengers. This brings serious accidents at the junction day in and day out.
It is noteworthy that anybody coming from or going to Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and Gombe must go through the Magama Gamau junction. Sadly, the situation of the junction causes accidents leading to the loss of lives and property, especially for pedestrians and traders operating along the junction for business purposes.
Nonetheless, since the road construction is ongoing and about to be completed, we urge the governor to look into the matter and adjust the Magama junction to reduce the congestion and the risk of accidents around the area hence the need to protect public property and their lives.
If possible, the government should provide a bus terminus near the junction so that motorists and Okada men could pack and have their loads without jeopardising or risking people’s lives or property. But, what is more, important is to expand the junction to provide enough packing space for motorists.
I call on Governor Bala Muhammad Abdulkadir to urgently do something to decongest the point to alleviate the suffering of commuters, traders, and Okada men as well as save the lives and property of those who use the junction to earn their living.
- Abubakar Aliyu Abubakar,
University of Maiduguri.