Motorists, Residents Commend FERMA’s Maintenance Of Bauchi-Kari Road
Motorists and residents of communities along the Bauchi-Kari Road in Bauchi State have commended the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for its routine and preventive maintenance intervention on the federal highway.
The beneficiaries said the exercise had improved road safety, visibility and driving conditions, while reducing risks associated with potholes, overgrown vegetation and blocked drainage channels.
The intervention, carried out under FERMA’s Routine and Preventive Maintenance Work Programme (RPMWP), involved the patching of potholes, clearing of grasses, shrubs and trees along the road corridor, as well as desilting of drainage channels.
Speaking on the impact of the exercise, the Village Head of Buda (Wailo Camp) in Ganjuwa Local Government Area, Abubakar Alhassan, represented by the community’s Chief Imam, Musa Muhammad Musa, appreciated FERMA for extending the maintenance programme to the area.
Alhassan, however, appealed to the Federal Government to extend the duration of the programme beyond its current one-month cycle, suggesting three to six months or a permanent maintenance arrangement.
He said sustained maintenance was necessary to prevent federal roads from deteriorating shortly after repairs.
The traditional ruler also commended FERMA for engaging youths from host communities in the exercise, noting that the initiative had provided residents with an opportunity to contribute to the protection of road infrastructure while earning an income.
He disclosed that 15 youths from Buda were engaged under the programme.
According to him, the clearing of vegetation had significantly improved motorists’ visibility and could help prevent road crashes.
He recalled that overgrown grasses and shrubs had previously obstructed motorists’ view, resulting in dangerous situations for road users.
Another resident, Sale Yakubu, said the intervention had brought a noticeable improvement to the road.
Yakubu said residents previously witnessed frequent incidents involving vehicles and livestock because of poor visibility and the condition of the road.
He noted that the clearing of the vegetation had created more space for vehicles and improved visibility for motorists.
A regular user of the Bauchi-Kari Road, Adamu Ahmed, described the intervention as a welcome development and called for similar maintenance works to be carried out on federal roads across the country.
Ahmed said overgrown vegetation during the rainy season often reduced visibility, particularly around bends, while potholes increased the risk of accidents.
Another driver, Muhammad Auwal Adam, said motorists previously faced difficulties navigating potholes and areas with poor visibility, increasing the risk of collisions with pedestrians, livestock and other road users.
He said the maintenance work had made driving safer and improved the general condition of the road.
The leader of the vegetation-clearing operation along the road, Sama’ila Muhammad, said the workers remained committed to clearing overgrown grasses, shrubs and trees and removing the resulting debris from the road corridor.
Muhammad described the exercise as successful and urged the Federal Government to extend it to three or six months, or make it an annual intervention.
He said regular clearing of vegetation would improve visibility, enhance road safety and help address potential security threats along road corridors.
He added that desilting drainage channels would improve the flow of stormwater and help reduce flooding during the rainy season.
According to him, the programme would also create employment opportunities for members of host communities and encourage them to take greater responsibility for protecting federal road infrastructure.
FERMA said the RPMWP was designed to preserve federal roads through routine and preventive maintenance, improve travel time, reduce vehicle maintenance costs and minimise road traffic crashes.
The scope of the intervention includes patching potholes at critical sections of selected federal roads, clearing grasses, shrubs and unwanted trees along road corridors, and desilting lined drains to facilitate the free flow of stormwater.
Under the Bauchi intervention, 50 participants drawn from communities along selected road corridors were engaged for one month.
Each participant is expected to receive a stipend of N70,000 at the end of the programme to support their households.
The beneficiaries described the initiative as a demonstration of FERMA’s commitment to road maintenance, community participation and economic empowerment through job creation.
