Presidency Pledges Tight Security For Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, Others

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, North-West, Abdullahi Tanko Yankasai, on Wednesday, reassured of the current administration’s commitment to providing adequate security at the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway construction site in Illela, Sokoto State and other parts in the Northwest geo-political zone.

THE WHISTLER reports that the Federal Government in 2024flagged off the construction of 1000 kilometers Sokoto-Badagry superhighway.

The project, which stretches from Illela town of Illela Local Government Area in Sokoto State, is expected to pass through Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo and Lagos States.

Speaking during an inspection visit to the construction site,
Yankasai said that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is committed to sustaining security in the area to enable a speedy and smooth work process.

He said, “As you can see, there are security personnel around and if not, because of the effort of our security, the contractors wouldn’t have been here.

” So, a lot of security has been provided, and that’s why you see that the work is ongoing and I want to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making sure that despite insecurity in the region, the contractors haven’t been stopped from working since they started working on the site.”

He explained that the 1000km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, which is done and designed on concrete pavement would allow the Northwest Region to connect to other parts of the country for easy business and rapid development in the area.

He said, “Now, we are in Katami, Sokoto and as you can see, the road is on concrete pavement. This road will take you from here to Badagry in Lagos, that’s the superhighway, there are a lot of dams on the corridors, and it will boost agricultural activity and economic prosperity for the Northwest Region.

“We want to thank President Bola Tinubu for initiating this project in the Northwest and I am very impressed and as you can see we just took the measurements and the measurements we took are 20cm, that’s the thickness of the concrete pavement and it is going to last up to 50 to 100 years”.

On his part, the Sokoto State Federal Controller of Works, Engr Maiguandu Kashimu, expressed confidence over the quality of work done so far, and commended the President for providing a strong security presence in the area.

“As you can see, we are here at Katami, Kilometre 108, which is the beginning of the project. Here in Katami, if you look at it now, the contractor is working on Continued Reinforced Concrete Pavement, and if you look at it now, they’re still working on it.

“This is the final layer of this project, no additional layers, and if you look at it, the street lights have been installed. So, there will be maximum security on the site.

“Since we started this project, we’ve not experienced any form of insecurity in the area that will stop the contractor from working. We thank God that we’re safe here and we’re working day and night.

” The issue of insecurity here is virtually zero. We have a maximum number of security here attached to us, ensuring the safety of the contractors and our local people working; we’re safe, and we have enough security.

“We’ve not recorded any security challenge, we are safe, and some of us are coming from Sokoto to this place, and after the end of the day, we go back to Sokoto. We are safe, and we thank Mr President for making sure that we’re safe in the site, ” he said.

The Project manager of Messrs Hitech Construction Company Limited, Egnr Johan Foucie, who expressed confidence over the presence of security, also commended Tinubu for the provision of adequate security on the project site.

“I am totally confident of the contract and progress. There is no trouble of insecurity on the site, and there is nothing like insecurity. We are safe here, and I must commend the Federal Government for giving us a safe place to work. So far, I can say that there is nothing or problem about insecurity”, he said.