By Daniel Tyokua
The minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello has said the construction of the Bwari/ Gurara road by the Federal Capital Territory Administration will boost economic activities in the border communities between FCT and Niger State.
He said the administration was keen on the road as one of its mandates of in the development of the border communities from which the FCT was carved.
The Minister disclosed this when he received a delegation of stakeholders from Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, led by Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari, former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development and the Speaker of the Niger State of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Bawa Wuse.
According to them, they had to come to the FCTA on an appreciation visit for the ongoing road construction work between Bwari in the FCT and Tafa and Gurara in Niger state.
Bello said, “The whole idea of road networking is to connect people. It really doesn’t make sense to build roads and just stop at the border. Luckily for us, the founding fathers of the FCT were very forward thinking and envisaged that while the city is in existence, the surrounding areas from where the FCT was carved, which for all intent and purposes are part of what we call the greater Abuja area, especially the border areas should also be developed.
On why construction of the roads were essential, the Minister said “anybody coming in from either Lokoja or Kaduna axis, by the time they reach new Wuse in Tafa Local Government, even if you want to go to places like Jere or Southern Kaduna or you want to come into Bwari proper, there is really no need for you to go all the way round, either through the road in Dakwa or come right inside the city and then go through Dutse Alhaji you will simply link into Bwari.
That’s all the justification. It was all done for the public good and I’m saying so, that the public should appreciate the focus of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration in terms of emancipating the people, and enhancing development.
Bello also said that the construction of the roads will also economically empower the residents of the communities along the roads whose occupation are mainly agrarian in nature.
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Hon Abdullahi Bawa Wuse said the delegation was in the FCTA to pay a visit of appreciation to the FCT Minister for the construction of the Bwari/Tafa/Gurara road which he said had been abandoned for over 30 years.
He said” after the construction of the dam, nobody ever looked at the need to really put up that road in a proper shape that is being done by you now. Once more, we appreciate Allah for bringing you as the Minister of Abuja and using you to open up that road once again. We are indeed very appreciative of it.”
