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Residents of Hillview Estate, Gaduwa and other estates within Gudu District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, are shocked at the danger staring them in the face, yet they can’t do much.
The road from their homes to various places of work and businesses is in a deplorable state and in dire need of attention. The makeshift bridge which connects the two ends of the road is caving in to years of neglect as erosion has eaten into the major chunk of the container and the slab that serves as bridge.
Interestingly, Gaduwa estate, Hillview and many others within this area, can be described as paradise on earth, but are being threatened by insensitivity on the part of the authorities that should fix things.
The collapsing road is located adjacent the popular Gudu market and cannot be said to be in an obscure place. The road is supposed to have benefited from the major Ahmadu Bello way that runs from Area 11 through to Apo legislative quarters road, down to Gudu. It is not clear why the road terminated where it is.
Recounting the harrowing ordeal of residents on this road to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND, Mr. Laurie Manayin said they virtually did everything by themselves through communal effort. He wondered how the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) could neglect that part of the district that has a large number of people as well as magnificent estates.
A visibly disturbed Manayin expressed fears that the road would finally collapse with heavy rainfall, especially in this season if the authorities of the FCDA did not come to their rescue at the right time.
He explained that the residents were already going through difficult times as the road is almost impassable, thereby creating heavy traffic gridlock.
“Ordinarily, from the federal secretariat to any of the estates here can’t take more than 10 minutes drive, but you will be lucky to achieve that in one hour during the peak period in the morning and evening.
“We have been doing our best to manage the road and other facilities through communal effort, but there is a limit to this, especially now that the road seems set to finally cave in,’’ Manayin said.
Another resident, Dr. Kolawole Owoka said there was high volume of traffic 24 hours on the road and it has made life unbearable for them.
He explained that besides the residents of the estates, the road also serves as a gateway to other places like Lokogoma and villages like Damankasa and Durunmi.
He further explained that it was the UAC that also built one of the estates that brought the containers used for the construction of the makeshift bridge.
‘’Now that erosion has eaten up the bridge, we are appealing to the authorities to come to our rescue. We don’t care how it is done, but let them save the road from total collapse lest we be cut out completely, ’’he appealed.
Another resident, Biodun Ekundayo lamented the insensitivity of the authorities as they hide under bureaucracy. He said that the attention of the FCDA had been severally drawn to the parlous state of the road and they would always say it was not captured in their budget.
He opined that the project should be listed in whatever headline so that the disaster waiting to happen could be nipped in the bud.
Motorcycle operators who also spoke to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND decried the state of the road, even as they wondered which of the seasons was better for their business.
One of them simply identified as Yahaya said, “During the dry season the dust on the road will nearly blind us, and during the rainy season the road is threatening to cut into two.
“It is always like a war situation when people are rushing to work in the morning and in the evening when they are coming back.’’
In general, they all exuded confidence that government and authorities of the FCDA will not abandon them.
