By KENNETH DAKOP
“WE want to ensure that every nook and cranny of Jos and Bukuru Metropolis is improved to make the city a welcoming place for all visitors and residents. The government has just started, and what you see is the tip of the iceberg. Despite financial constraints, we are determined to change the development narrative on the Plateau.” Those were the words of the Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, when he inspected some ongoing road rehabilitation and construction projects across Jos and Bukuru metropolis.
In the recent past, Plateau State was always in the news for all but the right reasons. The state gained notoriety for being a killing field of some sort. No thanks to the perennial internecine conflict that has plagued the state with the popular sobriquet “Home of Peace and Tourism” for the better part of the last two decades. This series of ethno-religious crises plunged the state deep down the abyss, almost ascribing to it a pariah status amongst its equals.
However, that negative narrative concerning the state is gradually giving way to a more positive outlook. The changing face of Plateau State may not be unconnected with the visionary drive of the incumbent government. The particular emphasis on road rehabilitation and construction is not only making the state wear a new look but also enhancing communication while boosting the socio-economic environment. Agreed that the state witnessed some relative peace and calm especially at the city centre in the last few years owing to the efforts of both state and non-state actors who have dedicated material and men to help communities build resilience; the same can hardly be said about physical infrastructural development in the period under review.
Since Governor Mutfwang assumed office, the entire landscape of the Plateau is wearing a new look. A drive round the city centre of Jos and surrounding metropolis shows that the major roads within the state capital are all experiencing the Mutfwang touch. The maintenance or complete overhauling of some of these roads that were constructed many years ago is, no doubt, giving the state a sparkling look so much so that any motorist that is familiar with the city can drive with their eyes almost closed.
A community leader and retired Air Force personnel, Barr. Omale Adejoh, who resides in one of the fast growing areas within Jos South Local Government, Diye, (Zaramaganda), said: “As you can see, the major road linking Zarmaganda-Rayfield to Yakubu Gowon Way is now wearing a new look. Initially, the road was poorly constructed about a decade ago and some portions of it were completely washed off. However, the incumbent administration in Plateau State under Mutfwang has refurbished the road and now residents of our neighbourhood are excited about the development.”
The Plateau State Commissioner of Works, Hon. Bulus Lekshak, and the General Manager of Plateau State Roads Maintenance Agency, Engr. Luka Davou, who recently embarked on an inspection of the ongoing roads rehabilitation and construction corroborated the views expressed by Barr. Adejoh and many other residents of the Tin City when they stressed that they would not relent in ensuring that The Time is Now administration’s vision of making life more meaningful for citizens of the state was actualised.
On his part, the Plateau State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Joshua Laven, who went round some of the project sites to monitor compliance by contractors, reiterated that the Mutfwang administration was committed to improving the living conditions of the masses through the upgrade of slumps to urban centres to appreciate the people who “overwhelmingly voted him and stood by him during his legal battles.”
He said that the Mutfwang administration was focused on providing dividends of democracy that would make positive impact in the living conditions of the people as a reward for the confidence they had reposed in the administration. Among the hitherto abandoned projects visited by the Commissioner in the metropolis were the Utonko – Nunku – Abattoir road with nine span fly-over bridge handled by P. W Nigeria Limited abandoned almost 11 years ago; the five-kilometre road networks in the Utan area of Jos North handled by Rick Rock Nigeria Limited, and the Sabon Gari-Tudun Wada-Kabong Satellite market road network being handled by Jolex Construction Nigeria Limited awarded in 2017 at the cost of N1.8 billion without any mobilization to the contractor.
Others are the 24.1- kilometre road networks in Bukuru, Jos South LGA, the Ama Street, Mallam Kure, and Fatima road networks handled by Wakema Construction Nigeria Limited as well as the Angwan Rogo road network with a spur linking Ali Kazaure handled by Latokem Construction Limited. Some of the major streets like the popular Rwang Pam, Dogon Dutse, Yan Shanu, Diye (Zarmaganda), Abattoir, Tudun Wada to Kabong, Liberty Boulevard, just to mention but these few are all wearing brand new looks.
What is worthy of mention, of course, is that all these roads are of high quality with dressed surfaces that have a long life span. Additionally, other major intra and inter-state roads are receiving the desired attention as well. For any visitor into the city from the Akwanga or Southern Kaduna axis will notice the efforts being made by the state government and the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to fill up the potholes that were an eyesore and death traps for travelers and other motorists along that way.
Also not left out is the intra-state road from Heipang in Barkin Ladi LGA (where the Yakubu Gowon Airport is situated) to Mangu and other parts of the state, just to mention but these few.
Even though naysayers and traducers of the Mutfwang government appear hasty in attributing the ongoing road rehabilitations, especially the federal roads, to FERMA and not the state government, what these antagonists of Plateau’s progress and unity fail to fathom into such baseless and unfounded assertions is that it takes a focused leader and a government that knows its onions to embark on such adventurous road rehabilitation within her first year in office.
Furthermore, the government has also formulated policies and passed Executive Orders to ensure that roads within the metropolis do not become death traps to the citizens and motorists alike.
For instance, the once crowded parts of the city like Dadin Kowa, Farin Gada, Bauchi road and places where trucks and other articulated vehicles once parked indiscriminately are now wearing a new look as government directives have compelled them to find other suitable parking spaces around the outskirts. This strategic move has further decongested the city centre thereby allowing for free flow of both human and vehicular traffic.
The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Joshua Laven, while inspecting some ongoing road projects captured it succinctly when he stressed that “Governor Mutfwang is not interested in who is the contractor or contractors handling these projects.
He has directed that all uncompleted projects must be completed because they are people-centred projects.” No doubt, the people are really excited over this positive development. Indeed, Governor Mutfwang is not only turning the Plateau landscape green but is also ensuring that all the nooks and crannies of the state are linked with standard roads that would enhance communication and make Plateau welcoming for all and sundry.
