The Gombe-Bauchi road is a Federal High Way which links Gombe with Bauchi state and other parts of the country. The road constructed many years ago has over the years declined and it is on the verge of collapsing, investigations by Daily Trust reveal.
The 146 kilometre road is full of potholes and it is also being threatened by erosion, triggered by deforestation and neglect by relevant authorities over the years.
Our correspondent who visited a portion of the road at Wuro Dole village in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe state, located 34 kilometres away from Gombe town, reported that the only bridge there has collapsed, as water has already washed away fifty per cent of the road, leaving only one lane for motorists to use.
Daily Trust observed that the road is supported by huge stones as heavy downpour over the years washed away the shoulders and major portions of the structure. Further observation revealed that pipelines and communication cables buried underground have been exposed, and are being taken away by unknown people.
Motorists who ply the road are alarmed, and are of the opinion that if urgent action is not taken, a disaster might follow, and Gombe will be cut off from rest part of the country.
A female passenger said whenever it rains, motorists have to wait for the rain to stop before they could pass. “Last week when I was returning from Bauchi, we spent over three hours waiting for the rain to stop, we didn’t get to Gombe until around 9pm,” the female passenger lamented.
A section of motorists who spoke to the Daily Trust Correspondent expressed worry, and called on the government to urgently address the problem and save them from a looming tragedy.
Yakubu Adamu Duro, a commercial driver, said: “This portion of the road has virtually collapsed. For years we have been battling with the relevant authorities to come to our aid. Government should construct at least two bridges at the spot, because all the previous work by FERMA didn’t solve the problem.”
“Whenever it rains, we have to wait like a kilometer before reaching the spot to avoid sinking into the river. Last week three cars were submerged when the drivers attempted to pass while it was raining, although they were lucky to be pulled out alive. If this road collapses, lives will be lost, and it will affect the economy of Gombe and the entire country, because the road connects Gombe and other parts of north central and southern parts of Nigeria,” Adamu Duro added.
Another motorist, Mahmud Yunusa Ningi, said: “I frequently ply this road to visit my family in Gombe, and the road is a very important link between Gombe and Abuja, the nation’s capital. But for about five years now, plying the road during the rainy season is such a nightmare, because the portion of the road about 34 kilometers to Gombe, is on the verge of collapse.”
Yunusa Ningi said apart from the many accidents recorded due to the bad condition of the road, which forces motorists to drive slowly, miscreants take advantage of that opportunity, and rob unsuspecting passengers especially at night.
He appealed to Gombe and Bauchi state governors, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, to draw the attention of the federal government to the road, so that necessary action would be taken to remedy the situation.
Salisu Adamu, a commercial driver, said he plies the road at least five times a day, to transport goods and passengers to neighbouring villages. He told Daily Trust that the road was washed away as a result of the felling of trees near the road ,and excavation of sand by private individuals.
Adamu added that the condition of the road had deteriorated, because of the heavy rainfall witnessed in the state this year.
“This road needs to be re-constructed because all the previous renovations and rehabilitations apparently didn’t work,” he advised.
A passenger, Daniel Ali, said: “Previously there was a small bridge at the area, but after it was eroded, these stones were put to support the road.However, as can be seen the stones can no longer hold the road any longer.”
Mr. Ali said almost on daily basis, accidents are recorded which claimed lives and negatively affected economic activities in the area.
Commenting on the situation of the road, the Federal Roads Engineer of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), in Gombe, Engineer Sulaiman Mohammed revealed that a team of engineers from the agency had inspected the road, and sent memos to the agency headquarters in Abuja for further action.
Engineer Sulaiman Mohammed said despite the near total collapse of the road, at FERMA their duty is to maintain roads after construction.
“Even as the road is in very bad shape, our duty as outlined by the law establishing FERMA, is to maintain and rehabilitate roads. As such we cannot award contracts for construction of a new road,” he said.
However, when our correspondent checked at the office of the Federal Comptroller of Works, in Gombe, Engineer Rugba Emenoge,he said he knows nothing about the road, and all enquiries about it should be channeled to the Federal Ministry of Works headquarters in Abuja.
“All complaints about the road should be directed to Abuja. I am sorry to respond to you this way, but it is the responsibility of FERMA to repair and maintain roads, not my office,” Engineer Emenoge told this reporter on phone.
