Senate seeks probe of abandoned Mararaba-Mubi-Michika road

The Senate yesterday resolved to investigate the abandonment of Mararaba Mubi-Michika-Madagali road rehabilitation in Adamawa State that is hampering development of communities in the area.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly also mandated its Committee on Works and Housing to engage the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to investigate the level of work, why the project had been abandoned and report back in two weeks’ time.

This was sequel to a motion moved by Ishaku Abbo (Adamawa North) that drew the attention of the lawmakers to an anomaly whereby despite the payment of over N1.2 billion to Rhas Nigeria Limited two years earlier to rehabilitate the road, the project has been abandoned.

Abbo, while urging the Senate to quickly intervene, alleged that many people had died as a result of the poor state of the road.

He said: “Since 2017, Rhas Nigeria Limited received over N1.2 billion in three instalments. Over two years of the contract award despite receipt of mobilisation fee by the contractor, the project has been abandoned.

“The economic activities of Adamawa have been affected by non-rehabilitation of the road. Residents live in perpetual fear of attacks because the road is in bad shape.”

Abba Moro (Benue South), who seconded the motion, said that across the country, road contracts were abandoned with contractors not held accountable.

“Must contractors, especially the local ones, get contracts just to grab what they want? We need to investigate it as a way of our legislative intervention,” Moro said.

Also speaking, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani (Adamawa Central) said some contractors believe that contracts are given to them as a share of their national cake.

She said that the contractor must be investigated to ascertain whether it has the capacity to handle such a project.

Meanwhile, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the committee would investigate and find out why the project had been stopped.