Bad roads in Niger: NARTO boss appeal for repairs

A passionate appeal has been made to the federal government to urgently assist in the repair of federal roads in Niger State to alleviate the plight of motorists.

The Niger State Chairman of Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners ( NARTO), Alhaji Hassan Usman Shiroro made the appeal in an exclusive interview with CAPITAL POST in Minna on Thursday.

He explained that most of the Federal roads that link Niger State to other parts of the country are in deplorable condition that needed urgent federal government’s attention, stressing the need for the federal government to urgently intervene.

According to him, the strategic position of Niger state cannot be overemphasized, noting that most of the vehicles pass through the routes in Niger State to some Southern part of the country as well as all parts of the country.

He stated that the deplorable state of federal roads across Niger State has consumed unprecedented lives in recent times, hence, the urgent need for federal government’s intervention to reduce the monumental carnage on the roads.

Alhaji Hassan Shiroro, noted that governor Abubakar Sani Bello was doing all he could in seeing to the repairs of the Federal roads in the state, ” but the resources are not enough for him to repair most of the Federal roads in the state.

“Niger State has the largest land mass in the country which most of the vehicles must pass through the state to the Southern part and other parts of the country.

So we are appealing to the federal government under the leadership of President Mohammed Buhari to as a matter of urgency assist the state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello to repair these roads to reduce carnages on our roads.”

He insisted that, Minna Bida roads Lapai, Lambata roads Tegina Makera Birni Gwari roads are all the major federal roads that link the Southern part to Northern through Niger state which are all in pathetic state,stating that if urgent steps were not taken it will continue to claim many lives.

“We have lost several lives as a result of the deplorable state of our roads in Niger State. No road in Niger State is motorable. You can even see what happened in Lapai road that two tankers had head–on collusion in the early hours of last week.

“Honestly, road users in Niger State and heavy duty vehicles plying these roads are passing through hectic situations.

“We are appealing to the federal government to assist us because Niger State is so strategic to the socio economy development to this country”, he observed.