By Nelson Dimas
The deplorable state of Jalingo-Numan road in the Northeast subregion has gradually metamorphosed into deathtraps for many travelers. The high rate of accidents recorded is a testament to this unfortunate metamorphosis. This is a trunk-A road linking Adamawa state to Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi and Plateau states upward which plying from Jalingo where craters, gully erosion, potholes, and even daredevil robbers rule the poor road. If you are plying from Numan to Jalingo you will be forced to dance along with your vehicle to no rhythm for close to four hours in the journey, which ought not to last for about one hour. For a regular traveler, the thought of venturing on Jalingo-Numan road is the beginning of a journey into uncertainties or the easiest way to book appointment with fate and grave, nay a way of bring money for nearby coffin makers!
Pertinently, the burnt wreckage littering this road does not only remind me of the government's aloofness from the plight of its citizens, but also serve as a memorial moment for many families that have lost their loved ones on this road. The trauma, discomfort and disaster recorded on the road has long pronounced a vote of no confidence on the relevant stakeholders from the zone and the country at large, as they portrayed not to have any modicum of concern for the welfare of its citizenry.
Successive governments have decried the sorry state of this road and have repeatedly pledged to fix it deplorable state. They have also allocated billions of naira for the project, but the road situation have become unbearably famished. The indifference of the current Buhari led administration to prosecute those entrusted with allocations to fix this road, but heard nothing on issues concerning this particular road leaves me thinking whether any other allocations for this road project will not frizzle out like those in the past - The negligence is so alarming!
A people-oriented government will not allow its populace to suffer unwarranted bloodshed and discomfort on the roads. The government has to do more than just awarding contracts. Concerted efforts should also be made to ensure the implementation of every detail of the contracts, ranging from the duration of the project to the quality of the materials to be used.
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