Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has tasked contractors on the completion of N15.3 billion roads and Flyover Bridge to ease gridlock of traffic and commuting in Maiduguri and Jere Council. The 2.4-Kilometre Bridge, is also a gateway to Chad and Cameroon through Gambouru and Banki border communities in the state. Zulum gave the task on Sunday, while inspecting the Bridge,10-kilometsre Muna Garage dual carriage way, 67.5-kilometre Maiduguri/Bama, Kwanan Yobe roads projects and a trailer park on Damaturu road. He said the flyover bridge and Muna Garage multi-billion projects, are critical to the decongestions of traffic and gateways to the neighbouring countries for trade and commerce. Zulum began his assessment with the new Maiduguri trailer park and gave approval for release of additional funds to speed up completion.
According to him; “The flyover bridge, when completed could ease traffic at the congested Customs Roundabout of the metropolis.” Besides, he added that the State Government is opening up metropolis, the state capital as part of responses to the increased traffic and population growth hit over three million. He attributed the congestions of vehicles and commuters to forced migration of households during the 12-year Boko Haram insurgency. The over a decade terrorism has also killed 46, 000 people with the destruction of property worth $9,2 billion (N3.42 trillion) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
He lamented that some of the households have settled in Maiduguri; as a result of being attacked and displaced from their ancestral homes. “We need to speed up the completion of these roads projects,” he said; noting that this should not affect the terms of contracts on projects’ standards and specifications. The Governor also inspected the Alau Agricultural Community Farm project, comprising 120 farmers on shores of Alau Dam along Bama road. He explained that there are 30 clusters of four farmers each engaged in irrigation farming with water pumps provided by the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA).
