By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
Niger State government has relaxed the order banning articulated vehicles on the state roads.
The state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has therefore directed relevant agencies in the state to open up the closed roads to articulated vehicles that are carrying not more than 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 35,000 tonnes of dry cargo.
The governor gave the directive after a meeting with Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Coorperation and the Minister of Works and Housing.
The meeting, according to the governor, discussed issues arising from the closure of all Niger State owned roads to articulated vehicles.
He explained the condition of roads in the state to them at the meeting.
The meeting, he said, acknowledged that the deplorable roads in the state was mostly due to the movement of articulated vehicles carrying overloads of fuel and dry cargos which had resulted to the destruction of the roads and brought hardship on other road users.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello however said that the opening of the roads was to allow for free movement of goods and services to ease the hardship that would be caused by the closure to heavy trucks, pointing out that it was a sacrifice that has to be made for the interest of Northern region in particular and the country at large.
Under the new arrangement, according to Governor Sani-Bello, “No articulated vehicle carrying petroleum products of more than 45,000 litres of fuel and 35 tonnes of dry cargo will be allowed into the state”.
Also, special interventions are expected to be carried out by the Federal Government in the state, which include remedial works on the Bida-Lapai-Lambata and Mokwa-Tegina-Brinin Gwari roads to serve as alternative routes for articulated vehicles.
The governor said that the state government needed the support of the Federal Government to carry out remedial works on Farin Doki-Minna-Bida roads to allow for movement of heavy trucks, pointing out that the Minister of Works and Housing had reiterated the commitment of Federal the Government to completing the projects.
The governor expressed optimism that the Mokwa-Tegina-Birnin Gwari Road when fixed, effective security will be provided on the road as it is prone to security challenges.
He also appealed to people of the state to be patient with the decision hoping that the federal government’s special interventions will be effected soon.
