Bauchi state government is to immediately commence the rehabilitation of all dilapidated public primary and secondary schools in the state as well as the dualization of all the major roads linking the state capital to other parts of the country on resumption from the Sallah break.
Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar who stated this on Tuesday while playing host to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu on a Sallah homage, explained that the significance of these roads to the people of Bauchi needs no emphasis considering the roles of the roads in the social and economic well being of the people of the State.
While lamenting, the dilapidated state of the roads that have subjected the people to untold hardships especially during the rainy season, Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar said 5 kilometers of each of the major roads leading to the state capital are to be dualized to ease traffic and vehicular movement and reduce recurring accidents on the road that have claimed hundreds of lives.
Also to be embarked upon on resumption from the Sallah break, according to Governor Abubakar is the construction, rehabilitation, renovation and reconstruction of all dilapidated public primary and secondary schools in the entire state to make qualitative education free, accessible and mandatory.
“All these are in line with my covenant with the people of Bauchi state which is also in line with the manifesto of our great party, the APC. It is unfortunate that we found ourselves in power with empty treasury and lots of public expectation, but we remain resolute and committed to our electoral promises of changing the lives of our people for the better in spite of paucity of resources”, the governor said.
On security, Governor Abubakar explained that proactive measures introduced by the administration with relevant security agencies which encouraged community policing and intelligence gathering from the local communities have so far resulted in the arrest of 117 suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers in some forests in the state and assured that government will continue supporting neighborhood committees that have contributed in eliminating youth banditry in most of the urban centres.
The Governor revealed that government has concluded arrangements for the establishment of an agency, called Bauchi Road and Transport Agency, BAROTA for the promotion of adherence to motor traffic regulation, especially in urban centres, hygiene as well as ethical refuse collection and disposal, while providing hundreds of youth with employment opportunities.
Governor Abubakar assured that his is a listening government, and stressed that all the appeals for social amenities and infrastructures made by made the emir during last Sallah homage, especially those bothering on security were taken seriously and are gradually being addressed by the administration.
The Governor urged traditional leaders to encourage all their subjects to support security agencies with information that will enhance their operations and assured that his administration will within limited available resources ensure that all sectors of the society are accorded attention in line with his electoral promises and the APC manifesto.
Earlier, the emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, while thanking the governor for executing infrastructural development projects in the state in spite of difficulties, appealed to the governor to support local community vigilante groups and security committees with logistics, and look into the possibility of setting up a task force for refuse disposal and collection to ensure the elimination of communicable diseases.
Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu enjoined politicians from the state to team and move the state forward, stressing that “dispute among leaders does no one any good.”
Governor Abubakar had flagged off the construction of Bauchi township and inter-town roads projects at the cost of over 6 billion naira with a pledge for improved standard of living which his “2016 budget focuses more on life-touching programmes like construction and rehabilitation of urban and rural roads, improvement of health facilities, total overhaul of our education system, so as to improve the standards as well as empowerment of women and youth”.
The road construction awarded in Bauchi metropolis consists of scarifying the entire length of the existing surface, construction of 150mm laterite sub-base, 150mm stone base, priming, lying of 60mm binder course and 40mm wearing course. The road will have four standard lanes separated with central medium fitted street lights; concrete walkways as well as reinforced concrete drains on both sides. The section from the Federal Low-cost – Railway roundabout will be dualised to have same features with the CBN Federal Low-cost segment of the road.
