Karu roads in deplorable state
Karu is one of the biggest satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory, and perhaps, one of the closest to the city centre. Nevertheless, it lacks some of the basic amenities all the satellite towns in the territory lack.
Aso Chronicle gathered that some of the major roads in the town are barely passable as they are riddled with potholes. Residents of the town who spoke to our reporters explained that they have lived with the experience for a long time now yet they are not used to the bumpy rides on the dilapidated roads.
The major entrance to Karu village from Karu site by Angwan Tiv, known as Salasi road, is one of such roads that require attention.
Lamenting over the condition of the road, Mrs Amafor Aguiyi, who is a trader at Karu site said, “I have been here for a long time and this has been our major road. The road has been bad for years.
Last year they came for the construction of the road, they brought some sand and other things but nothing has been done till date. They only cleared the road and the drainages but when rain came, it swept the sand into the ditches.
“People no longer ply here and it has affected our businesses. This is a small project that can be completed within a short time but it has been neglected. I don’t know the exact construction company that brought those things but I saw some politicians along with the contractors.”
She added that the repair of this road will benefit the whole community.
“It is a busy road but because of the way it is, people no longer ply it. They take another route to avoid the wear and tear on their vehicles.
“My advice to the government is that they should come and make sure that it is okay. We need their help in order to carry on with our businesses,” she said.
Another resident, Malam Farouk Umar, said, “The road is not good at all hence there is need for urgent action. We have some hospitals, laboratories and pharmacies on the road and people get stressed when carrying their patients to hospitals around here. Though the FCT minister is trying, there is still need for him to do more.”
Also speaking to Aso Chronicle, a motorist, who preferred to be called just Mrs Eno said, “The roads in Karu are terribly bad. They are not good for cars as they increase the wear and tear of the cars and shorten their life span. And because of this, most motorists make detours to avoid the roads which are in a deplorable state.”
She also said the state of the roads caused traffic jam during rush hours, making life difficult for residents when going or coming back from work.
She urged the government to rehabilitate the roads to justify the taxes residents are paying.
Another resident who gave his name as Shuaibu Ibrahim said a place like Karu shouldn’t have bad road networks since it plays host to top government officials and that its proximity to the city centre should have made it a model satellite town.
“We don’t expect a town in the Federal Capital Territory to be in this shape. If any visitor comes and sees it, he would be disappointed,” he added.
Emeka Obieli, a shop owner, also said ,“I don’t know if we are fully represented, the roads in Karu have been in a deplorable state for decades now. I have lived here since 1989 and till date I cannot tell exactly what is happening regarding this road.”
Another resident, Abdullahi Adamu, expressed also dissatisfaction with the authorities.
He said, “Honestly, navigating this road is not easy. All over this area, the roads are not good at all; you can see that there are many potholes around with mud everywhere. This road has been under construction since the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, the workers started but later stopped work and till now we have not seen any improvement. Recently however, I have seen that they are trying to start working again.
“My advice to the government is that the construction company that started this road should be called to come back and continue what they started so that we would have a good road to use,” Adamu said.
A cyclist, Usman Musa said, “We do not enjoy using this road at all. In fact, there was a time that I took a female passenger who was pregnant and because of the poor state of the roads, she later told me that she had a miscarriage. So we are appealing to the government to come and hasten the work and repair the road for us. If the road is fully constructed, it will be very helpful for both motorcyclists and everyone.”
A resident, Cynthia Nwankwo, spoke on the challenge she faces daily when going to work using the Court Road along Karu Abattoir
“There is nothing to write home about. When I am on my way to work each day, I often spend more time on this road than I normally should and as you can see, the reason are these potholes on the road which cause traffic jam for long periods.
“I am appealing to the government to come to our aid. We know they are doing their best but this road is equally important to the residents of this town, especially those of us coming from Nasarawa. So I believe that once it is constructed, people’s lives, especially those of the motorists and the motorcyclists would be better off,” she said.
Mustapha Garba, told Aso Chronicle, that “My house is just a stone throw from here. We have been facing this problem for the past five years. Previous governments had promised that they would do it but we have not seen them deliver on the promise.
“We always hear that contract has been awarded for the reconstruction of the road but we have never for once seen any contractor or workers here. I pray that the current administration will look into this issue and do something about it so that our lives would be easier.”
Maryam Sulaiman, who also spoke with our reporters expressed pity for the motorists saying it is not a pleasant experience plying the road.
“I don’t have a car but I do see what car owners are passing through when going to work in the morning and when returning in the evening, as you can see the road is very bad. Whenever I use commercial bikes, I suffer from body ache because of the numerous potholes we often run into before reaching our destination.
“My advice to the government is that they should help us because with good roads, this is the major road that links Nasarawa and Abuja through Karu Village, Karu would not just be a place that people would like to come because of the easy access, it may also be a place that people would like to visit.
“You can see that we have a school here but because of the bad roads, most parents from other towns do not bring their children here,” she said. The Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Gambo Jibril said the government is working on the roads in phases and that some portions have been rehabilitated. “I am aware that recently, a contract was awarded on a segment of the road from Nyanya interchange to Karu and they are going to complete others as well. People should be patient because there is no fund for us to do everything at once,” he said.