Expand Nyanya-Keffi Road – Reps

The House of Representatives, yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to construct additional lanes on the Nyanya-Keffi road to reduce the regular fatal accidents along the express way.

More than 20 lives were lost and several others wounded when an accident involving a cargo- laden articulated vehicle and other smaller commuter vehicles took place on Monday.

Raising the issue in a motion, representative Zephaniah Jisalo (AMAC/Bwari,FCT) said that the latest accident which occurred around the Kugbo mechanic village on the road was just another of the several accidents that have claimed several lives.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP, Jisalo said while commiserating with the victims’ families that, “it will be unfair if government doesn’t give them attention and give the road attention as well. The federal government has to expand that road or build a bypass. The contractor has started but he is slow, we need to expedite action.

“As a temporary measure, trucks could be stopped from passing through that road from 6am to 12midnight. There is an existing regulation. It should be enforced because most civil servants come in from Keffi, Nyanyan, Karu and Mararaba.”

The lawmakers also directed the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Vehicle Inspectorate Office (VIO), the FCTA and the police to ensure enforcement of a 6am to 9pm restriction of movement of all heavy duty vehicles as earlier ordered by the Minister of the FCT, while the FRSC and the VIO should scale up inspection on the road-worthiness of such vehicles.

The House further urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to pay the hospital bills of Monday accident’s victim.

Meanwhile, a motion sponsored by Hon Godfrey Gaiya, (PDP, Kaduna) urging the federal government to decongest the city centre by relocating some federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs)to other Area Councils of the FCT failed to scale through.