By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday handed over 1.05 kilometre rehabilitated road projects to the University of Abuja (UniAbuja).
In a statement by Boade Akinola, Director Press and Public Relations at the ministry, said the Federal Government’s intervention in the development of infrastructure in the nation’s tertiary institutions was aimed at boosting the quality of Education in the institutions.
The Minister, who was represented at the handover ceremony by the Federal Controller of Works in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Engr. Usman Yakubu, said the intervention was giving students renewed hope and enthusiasm with regards to attending classes where Federal Government has restored motorability to the hitherto defective roads.
He disclosed that under the Tertiary Institutions Road Intervention Programme initiated by his Ministry, the Federal Government is currently working on 76 road projects in selected Federal tertiary institutions spread across the nation.
“We have successfully intervened in the internal road networks of 46 Federal Tertiary Institutions and handed over 29 of the roads as at 2021 and we now have another 17 ready to be handed over while we are currently attending to 30 roads in similar institutions across the country making a total of 76”, the Minister said.
According to him, “It is undebatable that the quality of education will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedbacks from the students of the schools where this type of intervention has taken place.” Fashola said the summary of all the feedbacks from students and Management staff of the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, had demonstrated that the gap of the nation’s infrastructure needs was steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs and construction on the major highways and schools.
The Minister described the construction of the internal roads by Federal Government in the nation’s tertiary institutions as a pointer to the administration’s progressive ideal of improving the human condition by supporting Education. In his response, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’ Allah, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister for selecting the University of Abuja to benefit from the special Government’s intervention in infrastructure development saying the road used to be the worst in the institution especially during the Rainy Season.
“It is a very important road in the university, it used to be one of the worst roads we have in this campus especially during the Rainy Season and now it has become the best. We give thanks to Federal Ministry of Works and Housing”, the Vice Chancellor said. According to him, “Tertiary institutions cannot achieve their greatness if infrastructure in the schools is not developed. With this internal road completed and handed over, Nigerians will be proud because it is a unity institution and belongs to all irrespective of your region.
The internal road is very important and it will serve as a boost for sustainable social, academic and economic well-being of the students as well as the staff of the institute”, he said. In his remarks, the institution’s Head of Works and Services, Engr. Joshua Musa, thanked the Ministry for the project saying that the road was a death trap before its rehabilitation. He said, “it is a big blessing to the entire students and management of the institute.
We are grateful and very happy that the road has been fixed. Before now, we have recorded a lot of bike accidents on the road because of its bad nature”, he explained.
Reiterating Engr. Musa’s position, the Registrar of the School, Mallam Yaya Ibrahim, declared, “We are fortunate to be able to witness the handing over of this project and we thank President Muhammadu Buhari and the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing for making this to happen. It is a laudable project and will ease our movement within the school premises”.
