Kebbi: Gotomo community lauds FG for road project, solar installation
Residents of Gotomo community, Argungu Local Government Area (LGA) of Kebbi, have commended the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for the execution of road projects and streetlight installation in the community.
The residents of the community told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the project would go a long way to alleviate the suffering of the masses.
NAN reports that the agency installed modern solar streetlights, repaired cell culverts, and maintained constant repairs on federal roads that passed through the community.
Malam Musa Mai-Tarwada, a resident from the community who lauded FERMA for the construction of cell culverts and installing streetlights in the community, said it would ease businesses.
“The completion of the projects will ease the suffering we face connecting one village to another, especially during the rainy season.
“The streetlight has facilitated the springing up of petty businesses in the community as traders throng and flank during the night to market their stuff,” he said.
Mai-Tarwada said the Gotomo Development Committee would visit the state field office of FERMA in appreciation of the gesture done to them.
He said the solar streetlights have beautified and enhanced the security of the area, calling on other agencies to emulate FERMA in the state.
Malam Murtala Argungu, a commercial driver, also lauded FERMA for the construction of culverts and drainages along the Argungu-Sokoto road.
“The construction of the culverts has eased the suffering we face in our vehicular movements from Argungu LGA to some major towns in Sokoto State, especially during the rainy season.
“We sometimes throw ourselves into oblivion, thinking that there are no waterways or drainages along the road and that the heavy downpour will cut off the road.
“With the construction of the new culverts and drainages, we are happy, and we are thankful to the Federal Government as well as FERMA for saving our lives and that of our passengers,” he said.
Argungu urged motorists to drive safely and abide by the road safety rules and regulations in order to protect lives, property, and infrastructure in the area.
Earlier, FERMA officer-in-charge in the state, Rilwanu Usman, briefing newsmen, said the renewed hope in FERMA under the leadership of Dr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi believed in carrying out its mandate to the fullest.
“You can see for yourself that we addressed the problem of water ponding along the same Gotomo-Argungu-Sokoto road by constructing four-cell box culverts at Wali in December 2023.
“We also reinforced the concrete line drain and repaired a completely failed section, making the Birnin-Kebbi to Sokoto border pothole free through a very impactful programme called “Operation Safe Connect to Your Destination.
“Through the programme, we made the Kalgo-Kamba road pothole-free.
“The agency deemed it fit to consolidate by installing solar streetlights at Gotomo town,’’ he said.
This, Usman said, is now receiving huge applause as trading activities go on unhindered for 24 hours.
Usman added that similar solar street lights were provided in Yauri town in front of the General Hospital along the Kebbi-Niger States border road and at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin-Kebbi road, among others.
“Dr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, the Managing Director of FERMA, resolves to make all federal roads in the state and even beyond pothole-free and motorable all year-round within the limit of available resources.”
Usman commended Gov. Nasir Idris of Kebbi for his efforts in constructing befitting roads, providing them with solar streetlights, and providing an enabling environment for the agency to thrive.
“We also commend the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, for his supper and encouragement to the agency in the state in particular and the country at large,” Usman said. (NAN)
