FG Committed To Development Of Quality Education Through Quality Infrastructure - Fashola

..... 1.06 km internal roads with reinforced concrete culverts and drains handed to AKTH

.... CMD lauds Buhari for the intervention
 
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, has said that the Federal Government will remain committed to the development of Education in the county through the provision of quality infrastructure.

The Minister spoke in Kano while handing over 1.06 km internal road, including construction of reinforced concrete culverts and drains at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano (AKTH), Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

Fashola was represented by the Federal Controller of Works in Kano State Engr. Yahaya Baba Ali.

He said " it is undebatable that the quality of education will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedback from students in the schools where this type of intervention has taken place".

The Minister stated further that President Buhari's administration has successfully intervened in the internal Road networks of 46 Tertiary Federal institutions and handed over 29 as at 2021.

Accordingly, he said that another 17 tertiary institutions Internal roads are now ready to be handed over, while work is ongoing on 30 roads in similar institutions across the country making a total of 76.

Earlier, in his welcome address the Chief Medical Director AKTH Prof. Abdulrahaman Abba Sheshe expressed happiness an important project of this magnitude has been executed in the teaching hospital, pointing out that it will allow easy access for patients seeking medical treatment in different parts of the hospital.

" We are indeed very happy that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari through the Federal Ministry of Works realized the importance of this project which was carried out through special Intervention, the result is what we are seeing all around the hospital today" he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman Board of Directors, AKTH, represented by Dr. Dahiru M.D Shehu said he is hopeful that the present administration will continue to bring in more projects to the hospital.

" I thank Pesident Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola for the road which will help in the development of the Health Sector in the country" he said.

He also commended the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for the support given to the hospital in terms of improvement of the health care system in the country.

In an interview, the Principal Iman Academy AKTH Mallam Zakariya'u Muhammad thanked President Buhari and the Minister of Works and Housing for the internal road.

He said " this has brought relief to the people. Before the intervention visitors to this hospital suffer from dust due to the bad road and during raining season patients and pupils finds it difficult to access the road".

The ward head in the Hospital, Alhaji Sulaiman Shehu, expressed his happiness for the intervention and thanked the government for removing the pains of the people while using the road, saying that they can now move freely on the road.

SPEECH DELIVERED BY ABUBAKAR MALAMI, SAN AT THE COMPLETION AND HANDOVER OF REHABILITATION OF SOKOTO – TAMBUWAL-JEGA-KONTAGORA-MAKERA ROAD, PHASE I & II SOKOTO AND KEBBI STATES, CONTRACT NO. 6161 ON THURSDAY, 25TH NOVEMBER, 2021

On behalf of the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari, I bring best wishes to the Government and people of Sokoto/Kebbi States.

Our commitment to improve road transport infrastructure, our determination to improve the ease of doing business, create jobs and prosperity to lift people out of poverty brings us here today because the results of our investment are manifesting.

I can confidently say that as we enter the final lap of the tenure of the Buhari administration we are also entering a season of completion and delivery of projects.

As you can all see, we are handing over today the 155 Kilometres Road, which is Phases I&II (Sokoto-Tambuwal - Jega) of the Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora – Makera Road.

This road links Sokoto and Kebbi State together, and it is a critical component of our national road network.

This road has been built to the highest quality of design and workmanship and if is well used and not abused, it should last for the designed service life.

Road abuse takes many forms such as overloading of vehicles and trucks which accelerates pavement damage, spilling of petroleum products, which dissolves all the components and allows water to penetrate, and converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places, that brings the onset of road failure from the shoulder.

We must all do our best to avoid these practices, report them when they occur and act in a lawful manner to stop them.

The road is also a story of the capacity of our people. The patriotic Nigerians who were employed directly to build this road, the scores of suppliers employed indirectly who are responsible for providing the machines utilized in the construction.

These are not only nation builders to whom we offer our salutations, they are the heart of the Nigerian economy, the micro, small and medium enterprises that drive our economic growth.

This road is also a statement of economic efficiency and ease of doing business.

This is because the travel time of averagely 4 hours before construction has now reduced to 2 hours since the completion of the road.

Of course, this road is part of our many roads to prosperity because reduced journey times means reduced expense on travel, because time is money.

This road symbolizes change as you will observe in the road furniture, such as the lane markings and Route Assurance signs.

These components had all but disappeared on our highways but our commitment to change has restored them, with the markings helping drivers to achieve better lane management and control of their vehicles; while the Route Assurance signs provide information about how much further or longer, the drivers and commuters have to travel and the distance to the next village, town or state.

Of course, another element of change is the travel experience on a new and well-built road from the old and previously unmotorable road.

Now that we have this new and well-built road, we have duties to ourselves and to other road users.

One of those duties is to ensure that we drive in accordance with the law as stipulated in the Highway Code.

Accordingly, for the avoidance of any doubt, I wish to reiterate that the maximum driving speed on this and other Federal Highways nationwide is 100 (ONE HUNDRED) KM and no more.

On behalf of the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari, I formally declare this Sokoto-Tambuwal - Jega Phases I & II of the Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora – Makera Road completed and open for public use. 

For your safety and that of other road users, I implore you not to exceed 100 KM. 

We want you alive to witness and be part of the prosperity and promise of Nigeria. 

I wish you safe and happy motoring.

Abubakar Malami, SAN
Honourable Minister of Justice and attorney-General of the Federation