John Adams, Minna
Government and commercial activities were brought to a halt in Minna, yesterday, following a traffic gridlock caused by articulated trucks plying major roads in the city.
Public and private schools were also temporarily shut down as the traffic challenge mared movement by students and teachers.
Commuters trapped in the traffic however extended the blame beyond the tankers, to the deplorable state of roads in Minna. They also cited an accident at the Chanchaga-Shango entrance route to Minna, Monday night, which had not been cleared as cause fo the grilock.
In recent months, articulated vehicles traveling from southern to northern Nigeria are re-routing their journey through Bida-Minna-Suleja road following the collapse of the Mokwa-Tegina-Brinin Gwari, and the Bida-Agaie-Lambata-Sukeja highways.
The huge influx of these heavy duty trucks has piled more pressure leading to the collapse of roads, and an increase in accidents and obstruction of traffic in Minna.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello who visited the scene of yesterday’s traffic expressed disappointment with the recklessness of articulated vehicles’ drivers.
“They are only allowed to move between 9:00pm and 6:00am to allow ongoing maintenance works on the failed portions of the highways,” said Bello. The governor appealed to the Federal Government to assist fix some federal roads in the state.
Meanwhile, former Councillors from 274 wards are protesting the non payment of their severance allowance.
The councillors have given the state government up till November 30, to pay or face a showdown.
They were elected into office in 2016 and left in June, 2019 after the dissolution of local government councils by Governor Bello.