Residents of Plateau and Kaduna Border Communities Lament Collapsed Roads, Appeal for Government Action

Residents living in the border communities between Plateau and Kaduna states are expressing deep frustration over the deteriorating condition of their roads. The affected areas include Riyom, Saminaka, Manchok, Jengre, and other surrounding communities, where roads have been described as “death traps” due to years of neglect.

In separate interviews with The Arewa PUNCH on Wednesday, locals called on the governments of Plateau and Kaduna states to urgently repair the collapsed roads, which connect the two regions. Despite promises from both state and federal governments, the roads remain in disrepair, causing significant hardship for residents.

One of the residents, Dachung Job from Saminaka, described the road conditions as a nightmare for travelers. “It’s always a nightmare for anyone travelling from Saminaka to Zaria. The same thing is true for those coming from Jos to Zaria, as the road is riddled with big potholes to the extent that you won’t know which pothole is safe to drive through without getting stuck,” he said.

Job explained that what should be a two-hour journey from Jos to Zaria now takes over five hours because of the road’s poor state. “This can be very frustrating,” he added.

The dangerous condition of the roads has also made travelers vulnerable to armed robberies. Job shared a recent incident involving a friend who was robbed while traveling from Saminaka to Zaria. “Only recently, a friend of mine, alongside other passengers, was attacked by robbers who waylaid them at a bad section of the road just after Saminaka. My friend lost N159,000 to the robbers, who also took his phone,” he recounted, adding that such attacks are common due to the poor state of the roads.

In Riyom, another affected community, resident Sandra Peter pointed out that local efforts had been keeping the Riyom-Kaduna-Abuja road passable for some time. However, she expressed concern that during the rainy season, the roads flood, leaving people stranded. “Sometimes I pity those of us who live around the border communities of Riyom. It’s unfortunate that within this corridor, there are no access roads,” she said.

Sandra highlighted the severe impact on residents who are unable to travel to either Jos or Kaduna without facing major delays and risks due to the collapsed roads. “We have been begging both the federal and state governments to come to our aid by fixing the road, but none of them has listened,” she lamented.

She also expressed frustration over the lack of action from the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA). “Every year, we see FERMA officials with their big signboards mapping the road, but in the end, nothing is done. I think the authorities concerned should focus their searchlight on FERMA and its activities because we hear that there are budgetary allocations for the repairs of the roads, which are federal roads. So, where are the allocations going if they are not used for the intended purpose?” Sandra asked.

The residents are now appealing directly to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani to address their plight. “We are therefore appealing to Governor Mutfwang of Plateau State and the Governor of Kaduna State to consider the people they govern and do something about these roads,” Sandra urged.

For many of the residents in these border communities, the crumbling roads not only hinder economic activities but also put their safety and well-being at risk. They hope that the state and federal governments will finally take action to rebuild and rehabilitate the roads before conditions worsen further.