Damaturu- Maiduguri road to be completed soon – Minister

The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, has assured that construction workers would soon return to the Damaturu-Maiduguri road to complete the project.

The minister said insecurity and COVID -19 lockdown have largely slowed down the ongoing reconstruction and dualisation project of the 131 kilometer Damaturu – Maiduguri dual carriage way.

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“Security challenges have greatly slowed down the pace of work at the Damaturu – Maiduguri road reconstruction and dualisation project.

“The Chinese construction firm CCECC had completed 56.3 percent of the reconstruction and dualisation of the dual carriage way,” the minister said in a statement signed by his special adviser on media and communication, Abdu H. Mbaruma, on Thursday.

Engineer Aliyu said the Damaturu – Maiduguri road was the section five of the Kano-Maiduguri road reconstruction and dualisation project being executed by President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He said the first section of the road, stretching from Kano – Shuwarin, being handled by Dantata & Sawoe, is 62.2 percent completed; while the second section from Shuwarin – Azare, under Setraco is 94.8 percent completed.

Also, the third section which stretches from Azare – Potiskum, awarded to Mothercat, is 98.8 percent completed, and the fourth section from Potiskum- Damaturu, being constructed by CGC, is 84.8 completed.

The minister said the remaining stretch of the Damaturu – Maiduguri road which is about 45 kilometers could not be completed in time because of the heightened security issues bedeviling the area recently.

“The construction firm has done up to 95 kilometers of the road from Damaturu to Maiduguri.

“Specifically, the remaining stretch of the road which starts from Jekana- Auno – Maiduguri, measuring about 45 kilometers couldn’t be completed because of insecurity,” the statement said.

While urging motorists to exercise patience, the minister, however, assured that all hands are on deck to alleviate the suffering of the motorists by ensuring that the project is completed soon.

“We are currently working on a robust strategy to return the contractor back to site very soon,” the minister said.

“However, with the new strategy being put in place, as soon as rain recedes, the construction workers would get back to the Jekana-Auno-Maiduguri stretch of the road and complete it,” the minister said.