Bauchi Residents, Motorists Praise FERMA's Road Repairs, Seek Extension Of Programme

Bauchi Residents, Motorists Praise FERMA's Road Repairs, Seek Extension Of Programme

Motorists and residents along the Bauchi-Kari federal highway have lauded the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, for its Routine and Preventive Maintenance Work Programme, saying the project has made the road safer and easier to ply.


The intervention covered pothole repairs, clearing of bushes and trees along the shoulders, and desilting of drainage channels. FERMA said the programme was designed to keep selected federal roads motorable and reduce accidents caused by bad infrastructure.

The District Head of Buda in Wailo Camp, Ganjuwa Local Government Area, Abubakar Alhassan, who was represented by the Chief Imam of the community, Musa Muhammad Musa, said the initiative came at the right time.  “We appreciate FERMA for bringing this programme to our area. It has improved movement and safety on our road,” he said.  

He, however, asked the Federal Government to extend the programme beyond the current one-month window.  
“Road maintenance is not a one-time job. We urge the government to extend this exercise to three or six months, or better still, make it a permanent arrangement so the road does not go bad again shortly after repairs,” he stated.

Alhassan also praised FERMA for recruiting youths from host communities.  “This is commendable because it gives our young people a chance to earn a living while protecting federal assets. From Buda alone, 15 youths were engaged,” he said.

On road safety, he linked bush clearing to a reduction in crashes.  “Before now, tall grasses blocked drivers’ sight. A member of our community was hit by a vehicle while trying to avoid another vehicle and lost an eye,” he recounted.  “Today, with the shrubs cleared, drivers can see up to one or two kilometres ahead and react early to any danger.”


Another community member, Sale Yakubu, said the road condition had improved markedly.  “We are grateful for this programme because there has been a clear difference,” Yakubu said.  “In the past, vehicles hit our animals almost every day due to poor visibility. Now that the grasses are gone, there is space for vehicles to pass and drivers can see clearly ahead.”


A regular user of the Bauchi-Kari road, Adamu Ahmed, described the work as timely.  “Honestly, this is good work. We appeal to the federal government to extend this kind of maintenance to other federal roads nationwide,” Ahmed said.  “During rainy season, grasses used to grow into the road. At bends you feared hitting a pothole, a person or animal. Now the shoulders are clear and driving is less stressful.”

Fellow driver, Muhammad Auwal Adam, said potholes and poor visibility had previously put road users at risk.  “Before, we drove with fear of colliding with pedestrians, livestock or other vehicles because of bad spots and blocked views,” Adam said. “This intervention has made driving safer and the road more comfortable.” The supervisor of the vegetation clearing team on the Bauchi-Kari stretch, Sama’ila Muhammad, said workers remained focused on keeping the roadside clean.  “Our team has been committed to clearing grasses and removing debris from the roadside,” Muhammad said.  

He called on government to expand the programme.  
“We appeal that this be extended to three or six months, or made an annual exercise. Clearing road corridors improves visibility, enhances safety, and can even deter criminal activities. Desilting drains will also help control flooding.”
Muhammad added that the project was also creating jobs and encouraging community ownership of public infrastructure.  
According to FERMA, the RPMWP is aimed at preserving federal roads through regular upkeep, cutting travel time, lowering vehicle repair costs, and reducing road accidents.  The scope includes patching critical potholes, clearing grasses, shrubs and unwanted trees along road corridors, and clearing drains to ensure free flow of rainwater. For this phase in Bauchi, 50 persons from communities along the selected routes were engaged for one month. Each beneficiary is to receive N70,000 stipend at the end of the exercise to support their households.
The participants described the initiative as evidence of FERMA’s commitment to community welfare through job creation and direct involvement in road maintenance.