Correspondent Religion Maji writes on the deserted 170km Marabar Kankara-Katsina highway, which has led to a decline in financial actions and an increase in banditry in cities on the axis of the freeway
Earlier this 12 months, highway customers and residents of Katsina State celebrated the graduation of the reconstruction of the 170km Marabar Kankara-Katsina highway, which had develop into dilapidated 30 years after it was constructed.
Nevertheless, simply when the contractor had moved to web site and commenced the scraping of the highway to start its reconstruction, the challenge was stopped abruptly with none rationalization on why it was stopped.
On October 6, the Senior Particular Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Political Issues, Ibrahim Kabir Masari, disclosed that the highway challenge was stopped by the Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Radda.
Masari said that “contract for the reconstruction of the highway from Marabar Kankara, Kankara, Yantumaki, Dutsinma, Kurfi to Katsina was awarded but it surely was awarded to the fallacious particular person.
“Due to this fact, the Katsina State Governor met Mr. President and requested him to revoke the contract and re-award it to a different contractor that may do a greater job.”
Following Masari’s feedback, Governor Radda reportedly got here below scathing criticisms from commuters that ply the highway, residents of the communities alongside the 170km highway, and Civil Society Organisations.
Our correspondent learnt that the incessant hike in gasoline costs has taken its toll on companies alongside the freeway, whereas bandits have a area day.
A business automobile driver, Haruna Abdu, lamented that regardless of the excessive value of gasoline, drivers needed to go spherical via longer routes when touring to Katsina.
“For drivers coming from Funtua or Zaria, the highway via Kankara is the shortest path to Katsina, however the highway building challenge has been halted halfway. Now, we have now to go spherical via Musawa or via Gidan Mutum Daya when going to Katsina.
“With the excessive value of gasoline, each business and personal automobile homeowners undergo plenty of hassle and spend an excessive amount of cash on gasoline to get to Katsina,” Abdu stated.
For residents of villages alongside the Marabar Kankara-Katsina highway, the stoppage of the highway challenge has worsened insecurity within the space.
In July, the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the initiation of the highway building challenge within the state.
The Emir said this when he acquired a staff consisting of the highway contractor and the development agency, Vipan World Sources.
When accomplished, the highway is anticipated to enhance safety, improve financial actions, and enhance transportation within the area.
“Roads are important infrastructure that serves as catalysts of improvement. I’m positive if accomplished, this highway will assist scale back the issue of insecurity within the space, which is our main concern within the state,” the monarch has stated.
Identical month, residents of Kankara Native Authorities Space of Katsina State blocked the Marabar-Kankara to Katsina and Kano roads, in addition to the highway linking Malumfashi to Funtua and Kaduna State.
Identical month, residents of Kankara Native Authorities Space of Katsina State blocked the Marabar-Kankara to Katsina and Kano roads, in addition to the highway linking Malumfashi to Funtua and Kaduna State whereas protesting towards bandits’ operations in some communities within the space.
The protesters known as on the federal government to accentuate efforts to guard their lives and property.
One of many residents, Muhammad Sabiu, stated they needed the federal government to swiftly deal with the issue.
“Proper now, there are corpses of individuals killed by the bandits within the bush, and so they have prevented us from evacuating them. That’s what is going on day and night time in our communities.
“We’re calling on the federal government and the authorities involved to hasten intensifying measures to curtail the issue. They’ve even prevented a few of us from farming, so life in these locations has develop into extraordinarily troublesome,” he stated.
Dan-Gambo Faruku, a resident of Burdugau, additionally narrated how kidnapping and armed banditry had worsened as a result of cancellation of the highway challenge.
“As you’ll be able to see, this highway has been scraped as reconstruction had commenced, however from the time the challenge was stopped until now, too many individuals have been kidnapped and too many villages have been raided or attacked by bandits.
“Greater than fifty villages have been attacked between Burdugau, Yargoje, Kuka-sheka, Danmarke and Kankara and since the highway has been closed, safety businesses can not come to our help throughout these assaults.
“Equally, as a result of autos have stopped plying the highway, the world is just too quiet; for this reason bandits assault us at any time of the day.”
DG Media to the Katsina State Governor, Maiwada Danmallam, whereas reacting to why the Governor revoked the contract, as captured in Masari’s speech, said, “I assumed your query is why Gov. Radda revoked the highway. This audio didn’t say how Radda revoked the highway. Complaining to the Federal Authorities in regards to the sluggish execution of the contract isn’t the identical as revoking the contract. What the Federal Authorities does with complaints like this from states is completely its affairs. I nonetheless insist you direct your query to the suitable quarters talked about earlier.”
Throughout a go to by our correspondent to the favored Nationwide Affiliation of Transport Organisations park in Katsina, the state capital, a motorist, Usman Sani lamented the scenario, saying previous to know, he plied the highway thrice every week both to Abuja or Zaria.
“Now passengers are now not touring as they was once, if a driver travels simply as soon as every week, luck is on his aspect. Due to the hike, we have now to extend the fare as a result of the gasoline value has gone excessive and naturally, we have now so as to add. Center of final month, the fare from Katsina to Zaria was N5,500 however now, we elevated the fare to N7,000 because of a hike in gasoline pump,” Sani stated.
“And I used to comply with Kankara when employees have been on the location engaged on the highway however since they left, I’ve not tried it for concern of being kidnapped by these dangerous individuals. In the event you mistakenly comply with the route, solely God will rescue you. At occasions, they are going to kidnap the driving force and depart the passengers stranded whereas at some occasions, they go for the passengers. Who would wish to die on this miscreant’s palms?
“Now, the one different route is the lengthy one Malnumshi-Kafuur to Kankia and in some spots they used to assault individuals round Gidan Mutunmadaya. Because it stands and because the highway building has stopped, I’ve no opinion than to comply with the lengthy highway if I wish to be secure.
“Let me conclude by saying that the deplorable situation of the highway, which I do know contributed to the insecurity across the space, particularly Marabar Kankara, has affected our enterprise. I can’t authentically inform you numbers of assaults on the highway as we converse however many individuals died as a result of actions of bandits.”
Additionally, a commuter, who’s conversant with the highway, Aminu Bako, informed our correspondent in Katsina that, for the reason that enhance on gasoline pump costs, he minimised his frequent journeys to Zaria.
“My household is in Zaria, which made me frequent residence however between July and August, when transport fare elevated from N4,500 to N6,000 plus the bandits assaults, particularly on Marabar Kankara axis, my spouse suggested that I diminished my coming residence,” Bako said.
“It received to the time that I considered quitting my job for my security. I virtually received kidnapped that point, when the state transport service bus was attacked. I can’t neglect the incident. I suggested myself, along with my household, to be residence as soon as a month, not like the earlier visits each weekend.
“I don’t wish to know the explanations for the stoppage but it surely was not a good suggestion to cease the development. I’m not pleased.”
Effort to achieve the Katsina State Authorities on the alleged order for the stoppage of the highway building proved abortive because the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammad, was but to answer messages though he promised to achieve out having heard what the President’s aide, Masari, stated throughout an occasion in Katsina that the “Governor himself ordered for the stoppage.”