THE pain on Kaduna State roads is easing, and residents have Governor Patrick Yakowa to thank for that.
Motorists are now riding with ease in once inaccessible parts of the metropolis. A newtork of new roads has emerged. Bridges are being built to mop up traffic, just as contracts are awarded for more road work.
Residents have heaved a sigh of relief, hailing the governor for his efforts.
On assuming office, the Yakowa administration said it would address residents’ concern over traffic jam in the metropolis especially between Station Roundabout and Lagos Street Roundabout on the major bridge connecting the southern part to the central business district of the state to the other parts.
Yakowa told the people that his administration would construct a new bridge across the Kaduna River to ease traffic and relieve the people’s daily pain. The government made good its promise when it awarded the contract for the construction of what many regarded as the Fourth Bridge; work also started on access roads linking the bridge to the central business area.
The bridge was completed and opened for use this April in accordance with the contract agreement. Even though the access road linking the bridge to the Kaduna/Kachia Road terminating at the Kaduna Refinery Junction is about 80 per cent completed, many residents of the southern part of the metropolis as well as those in the northern part, now use the road. This has reduced the traffic congestion on the main Kaduna bridge.
When Newsextra observed residents are opening small shops along the road. Some of them commended the government for constructing the road, but appealed to the contractors to speed up work. They believe that early completion of the project will open up new employment and business opportunities for them. Commuters on the road are also happy. One of them, Alhaji Mohammed Inusa, said the decision to build the road was commendable.
“Those of us that have business to do at KRPC are happy that we have an alternative route now. It is always a difficult thing for us because of heavy traffic, but I believe that will reduce when the road is completed. As you can see, we are already using the road because the bridge has been completed. I learnt that the road is scheduled for completion in November and we are looking forward to it”.
Residents of Kaduna metropolis are not the only ones singing the praises of the administration. Across the state, most road contracts awarded on assumption of office are at various stages of completion. Before the coming of the Yakowa administration, the people of Hayin Damani always felt that they were abandoned by the government, with no passable road. The Yakowa administration has brought them back to the mainstream of governance, as the farming community located on the outskirts of the metropolis now has an asphalt road to drive on. The Kafanchan campus of the state university is not left out in the scheme of things as work is currently at an advanced stage on the network of campus roads. In all, the government constructed about 27 asphalt roads in its first year in office with over 500 rural roads under construction in various parts of the state.
In addition to the already completed roads and ongoing ones, Newsextra learnt that the government is awarded another set of road contracts across the 23 local government areas of the state at the cost of about N28 billion.
It was gathered that there will be more roads built across the 23 local government areas of the state. About 15 of those roads have already been completed.
Commissioner for Works, Suleiman Yahaya Richifa said at the signing ceremony for the new road contracts that the government has approved the immediate payment of 25 per cent mobilisation fees to all the contractors to mobilise to site immediately and commence work.
Richifa said that the government decided to award the contracts in view of its desire to transform the transport sector in the state. He challenged the contractors to execute the projects in line with contracts specifications within the period given, as government will not tolerate shoddy work. He said the payment of the 25 per cent of the contract sum is “to enable them (contractors) mobilise plants and other equipment for immediate commencement of work.”
He stressed the importance of the project to the people of the state, appealing to the contractors and consultants to ensure that the projects are executed to specifications and within the contract period.
He said: “I wish to advice contractors to study the contract documents carefully to ensure compliance with its provisions. I call on all stakeholders including the benefiting communities to give their maximum support by ensuring a conducive atmosphere for successful executive of the works.”
The chairman of the state Tenders Board and Commissioner for Justice, Jonathan Adamu Kish warned the contractors against shoddy work and delay, noting that the era of abandoned projects in the state is gone.
He said the people of the state expect quality roads. Kish also told them that the government will not hesitate to “revoke any contract that is not properly executed in addition to penalising such contractors.
