Abdulbaqi Aliyu Jari
Abdulbaqi Aliyu JariOn my way from Sokoto-Katsina, I counted not less than 10 woods mounted as road blocks and speed breakers in different villages on may way. What was more surprising was the fact that those speed breakers and road blocks where mounted by villagers in their villages. Some of the woods, tires, and other refuses mounted on the road were even blocking more thanhalf the way of the roads.
In Tureta local government of Sokoto, around Lambar Tureta, several woods were placed virtually blocking 2/3 of the road to the extend that one car has to stay for another car to pass.
It will be recalled that the former Inspector General of Police towards the end of this term has banned all police and local villagers from mounting road blocks on Nigerian roads except some designated areas.
Also, the state of the road (Sokoto to katsina) is terrible as the road has rotten and pot holes. Every where. The roads was reconstructed from 2007-2008 under Presidents Obasanjo and completed by the Late President Yar’adua (RIPP). Unfortunately, the road has spoiled in just 6 years.
More over, the need for a well constructed and maintained national grazing reserve is obvious as many animals are crosing from side of the road to another. We were so closed to hitting a Donkey near Dauran local government in Zamfara state.
Desert encroachment, desertification, deforestation was also obvious around the road. I observed that on a bridge near Kaura Namoda local government in Zamfara state, the bridge is half broken and filed with sand on its top. Also, indiscriminate cutting down of trees and the shelter belt planted in early 1990s has virtually disappeared. There are little trees enough to serve as the shelter belt.
The federal and state governments, Federal road maintenance agency, NASREA, ministries of works, agriculture and environment should urgently repair the roads, re establish the grazing reserves, resuscitate and maintain the shelter belts and urgently establish ministry of semi arid areas in Nigeria.
Comrade Abdulbaqi Aliyu Jari
Usmanu Danfodiyo University
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