By Amos Tauna, Kaduna
Former presidential aide to Good luck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has expressed delight with the security arrangement of security outpost installed along the Abuja-Kaduna highway at every one (1) kilometer interval making the road safe for all Nigerians.
Speaking to newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday, when he traveled the route in company of Nollywood actor Wale Ojo, said, “I did not come to Kaduna from Abuja with any security. I am safe in Kaduna and l am going back to Abuja by road. Nigerians should know that the road from Abuja-Kaduna is safe to all Nigerians.”
He also expressed joy that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration has done what needed to be done on security in the country, saying that the government is doing all that needed to be done on the road construction to ensure that Nigerians go about their normal businesses without any hindrance or challenge.
Speaking on the road construction, the former presidential aide stated that the contractor that was in charge from Zumba could not do it base on specification and had to be changed, stressing that the new contractor is doing a qualitative work in order to ensure the road last for 50 years.
According to him, “At the Zumba end, you see reinforce concrete and steel to make the road last for 50 years. About 40 kilometers into Abuja, the road is completely smooth, but on the way, it takes sometime to get the work done because they ensure the work is qualitative to last for 50 years.”
Omokri explained that for the security, every kilometer with security outpost that is mobile to apprehend any attack by bandits, pointing out that it is a good measure taken by the government of the day to secure the lives and property of Nigerians for them to go about their normal businesses.
Wale Ojo, an artist said he takes a lot risk to film in different parts of the country, stressing that the security arrangement along Abuja-Kaduna highway is so impressive that Nigerians are free to play the road at any time of the day safely.
He said, “I am impressed with the security operations where there is security outpost in every kilometer. To me, the road is safe for Nigerians to play to different parts of the country to undertake their daily activities without any hindrance.
An indigene of Kaduna State, Yusuf Kanhu noted that from 2015 to 2023, many Nigerians were killed, kidnapped with ransoms paid and property in billions of naira were lost to bandits who almost took control of Abuja-Kaduna highway.
According to him, “The insecurity situation on the road became a daily activity with bandits having a field day. The road itself was so bad that even when the airport was moved to Kaduna, the road construction was not done properly.”
He lamented that from 2015 to 2023, the government of the day created fear in the minds of people that up till today, Nigerians are skeptical to play the road from Abuja to Kaduna for the fear of the unknown.
“With the present administration of President Bola Tinubu, we can see that work is going on very fast with quality. The security personnel on their part are doing a very good work to secure the lives and property of all Nigerians to go about their normal businesses. The economy is gradually taking shape,” he observed.
