In Yobe, Keke NAPEP is having field day
- Details
- Category: Around and about
- Written by Hamza Idris, Damaturu
- Hits: 1535
Seen as little rural settlement which lacked basic infrastructure and other indices of development when compared with its contemporaries, the recent construction of about 1000 kilometres of roads including 49km in Damaturu, the state capital, has brought about the emergence of the popular Keke NAPEP in the city.
KEKE NAPEP, the emerging popular means of intra city transport across Nigeria is gradually appearing on the streets of Damaturu and posing a threat to commercial motorcycles which hitherto served as the only available means of transport especially in the state capital.It is believed that the new trend was not accidental but a response to the yearnings and aspirations of the people who had been complaining that since the creation of Yobe State in 1991 from the old Borno State, urban and rural roads had remained a mirage with concomitant negative effect on the social and economic fortunes of the people.
“We are gladdened with the resolve of the state government to change the fortunes of Damaturu through road construction because the development has brought succour to women and children,” Jamila Mohammad, a student of Yobe Islamic Centre observed.
“We now conveniently patronize Keke NAPEP whenever we are going to school, ceremonies or markets instead of motorcycles which is risky and not suitable for women,” she added.
Sulaiman Musa, a civil servant said in December 2009, three of them including his pregnant wife had to sit on one motorcycle to go to the hospital. “I am happy that about one month ago, we used Keke NAPEP to take my second wife to the same hospital where she delivered our son,” he said.
The appearance of Keke NAPEP on Damaturu roads became more prominent following the resolve of the state government, in collaboration with the police, to ban motorcycle operation between 6pm and 6am everyday to address cases of incessant killing of people by gunmen who use motorcycles to carry out their acts.
“Assuming there are no good roads which led to the appearance of Keke NAPEP, do you think enforcing the law will be possible?” Emmanuel Ekenna, a mechanic in Damaturu asked rhetorically.
Saidu Ustaz who ‘graduated’ to Keke NAPEP from motorcycle said there was transformation in his life. “It was Damaturu local government authority that bought the tricycle for me and I make an average of N2,500 every day even though I remit only N700 to my employers,” Saidu said.
Observers say successive governments could not deploy Keke NAPEP, buses and taxes for intra city transport because the roads are not there. “You cannot get vehicles for commercial purposes where there are no roads. But the recent urban renewal programme especially in Damaturu has changed the trend,” Shuaibu Isiaku, a commercial driver at Damaturu motor park said.
Our correspondent reports that when the state was created, a single roundabout was constructed at the city centre and the situation has remained the same for the next 18 years.
Again, the state capital had only two highways including the one leading to Maiduguri from Kano and another one from Gashua to Biu while adjoining streets and slums had no access roads.
“The truth is that before now, Yobe was a shadow of an ideal state,” Ekenna said.
However, in the 2010 budget, for instance, a total of N13.5 billion was approved for the ministry of works and the commissioner for works, Alkali Abdulkadir Jajere said the bulk of the money had gone into the construction of roads and bridges in rural and urban areas.
“The fact is that the state government realised the indispensability of roads for any meaningful development and that is why since 2007, we have been giving the sector the desired support,” the commissioner who recently completed tour of ongoing projects observed.
Weekly Trust reports that four new roundabouts and 18km ring road have been completed in Damaturu, a development which expands the frontiers of the state capital and opened the doors of new residential and commercial areas.
Other settlements and slums including Sabon Fegi, Babbar Tsangaya, Nayinawa, New Jerusalem, Nasarawa and Mai Sandari now wears new look following the construction of roads and drainages in the Damaturu phase 1 and 11 projects.
In other parts of the state, the commissioner of works said the 17km Dogon-Kuka-Wachakal road, the 7km Bukarti-Azamkura road, the 3 Km Uzuk-Azak road, the 35km Tarmuwa-Shekau-Koriyel road, the 15km Babban-Gida-Chirokusko road, the 17km Ngelzarma-Mashio road, the 17km Ngelzarma-Ganshengele road, the 13km Dogon-Kuka-Daura road and the 2km Fika town entrance have been completed.
Other projects which the commissioner inspected include the 31km road linking Bukarti and Gaidam in the northern part of the state which was awarded at the cost of N4.098 billion; the Kaliyari-Bayamari 109km road which gulped N3.849 billion and the proposed 300km road which will link six local government areas of the state that shares border with Niger Republic.
The commissioner said the ministry had recently signed a contract of over N3.1 billion for the construction of about 23 kilometres of roads in Gashua and Potiskum respectively. He said they are two major towns that are also in need of urban renewal.
Engineer Maisanda Lawan, the permanent secretary in the ministry of works said since the inception of the administration of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam about 20 month ago, the ministry had constructed 150km of drainages, 5 bridges and over 300 culverts across the state for the purpose of addressing incessant flooding.
“Our ultimate goal is to stimulate social and economic growth as well as reduce rural-urban drift through the provision of basic amenities which will encourage people to stay in their villages and engage in agriculture among other endeavours,” the commissioner said.
Articles
In Yobe, Keke NAPEP is having field day
Category: Around and about Written by Hamza Idris, Damaturu Hits: 1535
Seen as little rural settlement which lacked basic infrastructure and other indices of development when compared with its contemporaries, the recent construction of about 1000 kilometres of roads including 49km in Damaturu, the state capital, has brought about the emergence of the popular Keke NAPEP in the city.
KEKE NAPEP, the emerging popular means of intra city transport across Nigeria is gradually appearing on the streets of Damaturu and posing a threat to commercial motorcycles which hitherto served as the only available means of transport especially in the state capital.It is believed that the new trend was not accidental but a response to the yearnings and aspirations of the people who had been complaining that since the creation of Yobe State in 1991 from the old Borno State, urban and rural roads had remained a mirage with concomitant negative effect on the social and economic fortunes of the people.
“We are gladdened with the resolve of the state government to change the fortunes of Damaturu through road construction because the development has brought succour to women and children,” Jamila Mohammad, a student of Yobe Islamic Centre observed.
“We now conveniently patronize Keke NAPEP whenever we are going to school, ceremonies or markets instead of motorcycles which is risky and not suitable for women,” she added.
Sulaiman Musa, a civil servant said in December 2009, three of them including his pregnant wife had to sit on one motorcycle to go to the hospital. “I am happy that about one month ago, we used Keke NAPEP to take my second wife to the same hospital where she delivered our son,” he said.
The appearance of Keke NAPEP on Damaturu roads became more prominent following the resolve of the state government, in collaboration with the police, to ban motorcycle operation between 6pm and 6am everyday to address cases of incessant killing of people by gunmen who use motorcycles to carry out their acts.
“Assuming there are no good roads which led to the appearance of Keke NAPEP, do you think enforcing the law will be possible?” Emmanuel Ekenna, a mechanic in Damaturu asked rhetorically.
Saidu Ustaz who ‘graduated’ to Keke NAPEP from motorcycle said there was transformation in his life. “It was Damaturu local government authority that bought the tricycle for me and I make an average of N2,500 every day even though I remit only N700 to my employers,” Saidu said.
Observers say successive governments could not deploy Keke NAPEP, buses and taxes for intra city transport because the roads are not there. “You cannot get vehicles for commercial purposes where there are no roads. But the recent urban renewal programme especially in Damaturu has changed the trend,” Shuaibu Isiaku, a commercial driver at Damaturu motor park said.
Our correspondent reports that when the state was created, a single roundabout was constructed at the city centre and the situation has remained the same for the next 18 years.
Again, the state capital had only two highways including the one leading to Maiduguri from Kano and another one from Gashua to Biu while adjoining streets and slums had no access roads.
“The truth is that before now, Yobe was a shadow of an ideal state,” Ekenna said.
However, in the 2010 budget, for instance, a total of N13.5 billion was approved for the ministry of works and the commissioner for works, Alkali Abdulkadir Jajere said the bulk of the money had gone into the construction of roads and bridges in rural and urban areas.
“The fact is that the state government realised the indispensability of roads for any meaningful development and that is why since 2007, we have been giving the sector the desired support,” the commissioner who recently completed tour of ongoing projects observed.
Weekly Trust reports that four new roundabouts and 18km ring road have been completed in Damaturu, a development which expands the frontiers of the state capital and opened the doors of new residential and commercial areas.
Other settlements and slums including Sabon Fegi, Babbar Tsangaya, Nayinawa, New Jerusalem, Nasarawa and Mai Sandari now wears new look following the construction of roads and drainages in the Damaturu phase 1 and 11 projects.
In other parts of the state, the commissioner of works said the 17km Dogon-Kuka-Wachakal road, the 7km Bukarti-Azamkura road, the 3 Km Uzuk-Azak road, the 35km Tarmuwa-Shekau-Koriyel road, the 15km Babban-Gida-Chirokusko road, the 17km Ngelzarma-Mashio road, the 17km Ngelzarma-Ganshengele road, the 13km Dogon-Kuka-Daura road and the 2km Fika town entrance have been completed.
Other projects which the commissioner inspected include the 31km road linking Bukarti and Gaidam in the northern part of the state which was awarded at the cost of N4.098 billion; the Kaliyari-Bayamari 109km road which gulped N3.849 billion and the proposed 300km road which will link six local government areas of the state that shares border with Niger Republic.
The commissioner said the ministry had recently signed a contract of over N3.1 billion for the construction of about 23 kilometres of roads in Gashua and Potiskum respectively. He said they are two major towns that are also in need of urban renewal.
Engineer Maisanda Lawan, the permanent secretary in the ministry of works said since the inception of the administration of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam about 20 month ago, the ministry had constructed 150km of drainages, 5 bridges and over 300 culverts across the state for the purpose of addressing incessant flooding.
“Our ultimate goal is to stimulate social and economic growth as well as reduce rural-urban drift through the provision of basic amenities which will encourage people to stay in their villages and engage in agriculture among other endeavours,” the commissioner said.