On Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari issued a warning to Nigerians not to drive faster than 100 kilometers per hour on all federal roads in the country.
At the commissioning and handover of Hadeija – Nguru Road, Phase II (Kirikasama-Nguru) in Jigawa State, the President issued the warning.
At the ceremony, Buhari, who was represented by Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu, claimed his administration had made significant progress in road development.
While majority of Nigeria’s federal highways are now motorable, he stressed that Nigerians should resist the temptation to drive carelessly on them, risking unnecessary accidents and deaths.
He said, “Our commitment to improving road transport infrastructure, our determination to improve the ease of doing business, create jobs and prosperity to lift people out of poverty brings us here today because the results of our investment are manifesting.
“I can confidently say that as we enter the final lap of the tenure of the Buhari administration we are also entering a season of completion and delivery of projects.
“As you can all see, we are handing over today the 33 Kilometre Road, which links Hadeijia-Kirikasama in Jigawa State. A very important Road that connects agrarian and trading communities to ease the movement of their farm products.
“By linking these communities together, this road becomes a critical component of our national road network.
“This road has been built to the highest quality of design and workmanship and if is well used and not abused, it should last for the designed service life.
“Road abuse takes many forms such as overloading of vehicles and trucks which accelerates pavement damage, spilling of petroleum products, which dissolves all the components and allows water to penetrate, and converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places, that brings the onset of road failure from the shoulder.
“Now that we have this new and well-built road, we have duties to ourselves and to other road users.
One of those duties is to ensure that we drive in accordance with the law as stipulated in the Highway Code.
“Accordingly, for the avoidance of any doubt, I wish to reiterate that the maximum driving speed on this and other Federal Highways nationwide is 100km and no more.
“For your safety and that of other road users, I implore you not to exceed 100km per hour. We want you alive to witness and be part of the prosperity and promise of Nigeria.”
Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, who also spoke at the occasion, said the road project is a precursor to other projects that will be launched in the country soon.
Delta for Isoko Ring Road Section II covering Aviara – Uzere; Yobe for Section II and Phase I of the Nguru – Gashua – Bayamari Road spanning Gashua to Bayamari; Nasarawa for Lafia – Obi – Awe – Tunga Road; and Gombe for Phase II of the Gombe – Numan –Yola Road covering Gombe – Kaltungo.
These projects, he said, constitute a significant investment in road transportation infrastructure, which the Buhari administration has pledged to use as a driver of economic growth and prosperity.
“They are visible and incontrovertible Assets in proof of what Nigeria’s resources are invested in, from a combination of our earned resources, and borrowings.
“This occasion affords the opportunity to restate that in addition to other innovative sources of funding, our Budgetary provisions are also being diligently applied to complete projects such as these,” he added.
He thanked the Ministry of Finance and members of the National Assembly for their support, particularly the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Works in the 8th and 9th Assembly.
