The decade long Boko Haram insurgency; has stalled the completion of 488 kilometres of Federal Government roads in Borno and Yobe states. The construction of five roads, were awarded to Haijag Construction Company (HICC), while the World Bank handles the 78-kilometre Maiduguri/Bama raod. Insurgency stalled roads; include Dikwa/Gambouru, Bama/Banki, Maiduguri/Monguno and Ngamdu/Goniri/Damboa/Gwoza roads. These were disclosed Friday, while Borno State Commissioner of Works, Yerima Saleh was briefing journalists on completed projects to mark Democracy Day in Maiduguri. He said that despite awards of road contracts, activities of insurgents in Sambisa Forests and Lake Chad region have prevented the completion of roads for commissioning. Citing the 213-kilometre Maiduguri/Bama and Maiduguri/Monguno roads, he said: “No contractor would be willing to mobilize to project sites, because of insecurity to both lives and construction equipment and machines,” noting the contractors could have completed the roads linking neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger. He said that the Maiduguri/Monguno and the ones being awarded in forest and Lake Chad region were stalled from completion because of decade long insurgency. “In 2019, the completion of 593-kilometre Maiduguri/Kano dualisation project; was delayed for two years, because of terrorists’ activities in Borno and Yobe states. “Over a dozen heavy duty constructions machines and trucks were torched by insurgents in the Jakana/Mainok axis of Borno state,” he said. He said that Governor Babagana Zulum has accorded topmost priority to infrastructure, transport and economic development sectors of economy. According to him, the two decade abandoned Damboa/Chibok road would also be completed before the end of this year. He said that five kilometre of road, has already been asphalted. While the Northeast first Flyover Bridge awarded to Eighteenth Engineering Company (EEC) at N4.3 billion has reached completion stages. He said the completion will ease traffic congestion and free flow of vehicles and trucks in Maiduguri and into neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
