At the peak of the rainy season, most roads in Taraba state are not passable as members of the community complain about the deplorable road condition in the state. Our correspondent NATHANIEL GBAORON, who visited one of the road reports.
The residents of kurmi Local government area of Taraba state have decried the deplorable road conditions and slow pace of road construction describing the condition as living in bondage.
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The residents who narrated their ordeal to our correspondent in an interview lamented that the deplorable road conditions of the major road from Mararaba to Baissa Tati-Doro in Kurmi LGA has made life unbearable for them.
One of the residents of Tati-doro, Kurmi LGA who simply gave his name as Emmanuel noted that “the raining seasons have further worsened the deplorable road conditions thereby coursing more hardship for the people. ”
“Honestly this road situation is very worrisome because when it rains life becomes like living in bondage, people find it very difficult to ply that road, even though as we speak the contract has been awarded to three different companies but the level of work on that road is very slow in fact two of the contractors are no longer on site some said they have not been mobilized other said it is because of the rains, but no reason has been given as why they have left the site and we are left to suffer more” he lamented.
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He further explained that during the Covid-19 lockdown period most shops and markets in the communities ran out of essential goods because there were no roads to bring in those goods and services in those communities as the rains have worsened the road.
“The major spot that has become a nightmare for the people is in Tanidoro from Mararaba to Baissa. People spend three to four hours before they can cross the spot, in fact, you can not turn on the car you will have to push it through the waters to avoid water entering into the car engine.
Although the government said the reason they awarded the contract to three companies was to get the project finished on time but the present pace of work is very slow I don’t think they will finish anytime soon,” he said.
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He called on the state government to come to their aids by ensuring the contractor’s resume work on site.
All attempts to speak to the Taraba state Commissioner for works on the project were not successful as a visit to his office in Jalingo revealed that he was ill and indisposed.
Kurmi local government Area which shares a border with the Republic of Cameroon on the south is richly blessed with fertile soil which grows several cash crops and food crops such as Banana, Plantains, Rice, Groundnuts, Oranges, Palm trees, Cocoyam and Cocoa. Others include Maize, Guinea corn, Tumber, and Sesame.
