President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated the 132km Section II Kano-Maiduguri Road, Shuwarin – Azere with spur Dutse – Kwanar- Huguma, linking Jigawa and Bauchi States.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Shuwarin – Azare road contract was awarded on Sept. 13, 2006 at the sum of N35.8 billion with completion period of 40 months but later reviewed to N65.3 billion to cater for the 30.5km extension Dutse – Kwanar Huguma, provision of new Jersey concrete barrier and 4-way cable ducts.

The project commenced on Oct. 12, 2006 and expected to be completed on Feb. 10, 2010 but later extended to June 21, 2021.

Buhari, represented by Mr Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Water Resources, said the administration’s commitments to provide infrastructure and ensure ease of doing business was what informed about the completion of all uncomplated as well as the new projects.

“Our administration has entered into its final lap of our tenure, we are also into season of completion and delivery of projects.

“Your Excellency, Gov. Muhammadu Badaru has mentioned a number of roads that are pending in the process of being implemented: Kwanar Dumawa – Babura and Babban Mutun – Gaya -Jahun – Kafin Hausa.

“His Excellency (Badaru) forgot to mention that we also have Kano – Maradi railway with the spur to Dutse, but let me also seize this opportunity to announce to your Excellency that the process has been completed to commence the dualisation of Kano – Kwangala road as well.

“Today we are handing over the 131.8km which is Section II of the Shuwarin – Azare, Kano – Maiduguri road with spur from Dutse – Kwanar Huguma.

“This road link Jigawa and Bauch States together and is critical compenent of our national roads network.

“This road has been built to the highest quality designed and workmanship and if it is well used and not abuse, it will last for the designed life service,” he said.

Buhari, therefore, urged road users to avoid abusing the facility, especially motorists who are in the habit of overloading their vehicles and trucks as well as those who are converting the road shoulders to permanent packing places.

In his remarks, Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, said that the ministry had within a couple of weeks have handed over roads connecting 10 states of the federation.

Fashola, who was represented by Mr Babangida Hussaini, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, also announced that the president had mandated ministers from the states where the projects were ready for handing over to represent him.

The minister said that the hand over formalities that follow would be in both works and the housing sector.

“As you must be aware, we recently unveiled and dedicated a portal to enable our compatriots to apply to the National Housing Programme of the Federal Government in the 34 States where the first phase of the houses are ready.

“Finishing touches are being put to the handing over formalities in the beneficiary states and we will come back to you with more information soon,” Fashola said.

He said that the road project just handed over today in Jigawa and many others in various parts of the country, it was a clear demonstrations of the major investment in road transport infrastructure as parts of the commitment of the Buhari administration for economic growth and prosperity.

Earlier, Mr Celestin Sahusu, FMWH’s Controller in charge of the North-West Zone, said that the scop of works covered the construction of 100.08 km of two lanes and rehabilitation of the existing road between Shuwarin and Azare in Jigawa and Bauchi States.

Sahusu said that the carriageway comprises of 7.3 metre wide pavement on both sides and 2.75 metre wide surface dressed outer shoulders and 1.5 metre dressed inner shoulders.

According to him, the pavement is made of 200mm thick laterite sub-base, 200mm thick crushed stone base primed with bitumen emulsion, 60mm thick asphalt concrete binder course and 40mm thick asphalt concrete wearing course.

Also speaking, Badaru commended Buhari for his outstanding performance in all sectors, adding that the administration Inherited more than 300 abandoned road projects across the country.

The governor said that the Buhari-led administration had in no time mobilised the contractors back to sites, saying the inauvurated Shuwarin – Azare road was one of such projects, awarded 11 years ago.