Senate urges FG to extend Superhighway road projects to N/ East
…as Senator Goje said only two N/East roads connected to the N4.2trn projects
By Tunde Opalana
To actualize her intent of guaranteeing socio-economic and political wellbeing of the citizenry of Nigeria, the Federal Government has been charged to extend the Renewed Hope Super Highway Road Projects to the North – East geopolitical zone.
This, it was submitted, is to “ensure full inclusion of the zone into the mainstream economic activities of the country.”
The Senate also urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to, as a matter of necessity, approve the rehabilitation of all deplorable roads across the country.
This was an amendment moved by Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) and seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), to prayers by Goje which restricted such rehabilitation to roads in the North East.
The Senate however, commended the Federal Government for embarking on these ambitious and laudable projects “that would go a long way to guarantee socio-economic and political wellbeing of the citizenry of this country”.
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These followed a motion sponsored by Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) on the need to consider more road projects in the North East geopolitical zone out of the N4.2 trillion portfolio earmarked for the construction of Lagos- Calabar coastal road and other major road projects nationwide.
Goje who raised a point of order during Thursday plenary recalled that at the Federal Executive Council meeting of Monday, 3rd February, 2025, the Federal Government approved the sum of N4.2 trillion naira for the construction of Lagos – Calabar road and other major highways and bridges across the country.
In his lead debate, he noted that “these massive road infrastructure projects were conceived to deliberately address the deplorable state of Federal road networks nationwide and reconstruction/rehabilitation of some, in line with the policy thrust of the current administration of His Excellency, Senator Ahmad Bola Tinubu, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to revamp the road infrastructure challenges in order to boost socio-economic development of this country”.
He commended President Tinubu for this bold initiative “as it will go along way to improve effective transport system as well as address the challenges of insecurity, as criminal elements had taken advantage of the deplorable nature of highway road networks to perpetrate their nefarious and dastardly acts”.
The former governor of Gombe State noted from the breakdown of the highway projects, as listed in THIS DAY Newspaper of Tuesday, 4th February, 2025 and DAILY TRUST of Wednesday, 5th February, 2025, respectively as follows: “Lagos – Calabar Highway; Delta State Access Road; Anambra State Access Road; Lagos – Ibadan Express Way; Auchi – Edo Section; Benin Airport Area Section; Third Mainland Bridge; Ado Ekiti – Igede Road Project; Onitsha Owerri Express Way; Abia & Enugu States Road Projects; Udukpani Junction – Apeti Central Section of Calabar – Ikom – Ogoja Road; Abeokuta – Ajibo Road – Iyanan Mosa Road in Ogun State; Adulu – Ajibu Road in Anambra State; Umuahia – Ikuano – Ikot-Ekpene Road; Umuahia – Umudike; Ijebu – Igbotita in Ogun State; Lokoja – Benin Road; Musasa – Jos Route; Agaya Kachia – Baro Road in Niger State; Yola – Fufore – Gurin Road in Adamawa State; and Karim Lamido Road in Taraba State.””
However, he said “it is imperative to note that in this laudable project, the North – East has only two projects, that is, Yola – Fufore – Gurin Road in Adamawa State (N11.81 Billion); and Lamido Road in Taraba State (N7.68 Billion), out of the approved sum of N4.2 Trillion Naira;
“Also notes that apart from these two road projects in the North – East, there are other very important road networks, which are in bad conditions, such as: the Bauchi – Gombe road; Biu – Gombe road; Potiskum – Gombe road; Darazo – Gombe road; Numan – Jalingo road; Yola – Mubi road; Yola – Michika – Madagali – Gwoza – Bama road, Ngorore – Mayo Belwa – Zing – Jalingo; Mayo Belwa – Jada – Ganye; Biu – Gombi – Maranraba; Biu – Damboa – Maiduguri; and Biu – Damaturu, among others, which desperately require serious reconstruction and rehabilitation”
He further noted that “the North – East is the only zone that is not connected to the Super Highway Road Projects embarked upon by this administration”.
Goje observed that the laudable intention behind the conception of these projects is “to ensure connectivity by improving road safety with the aim of harnessing the viability of resources that abound across the length and breadth of this country, with a view to stimulating economic growth and development”
