The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has given truck drivers parked along federal highways across Niger state seven days ultimatum to stop parking their vehicles on federal roads.
He warned that at the expiration of the seven days, any truck driver who does not comply will face the wrath of the law.
Speaking while addressing some truck drivers at Gawu Babangida in Gurara Local Government Area of the state during an inspection of the state of federal roads in Niger state, Fashola said the truckers need to leave the roads to enable the contractors working on the road to carry out its job effectively.
“The truck drivers must leave the road, I give you people one week to leave, otherwise, I will bring law enforcement agents to move all of you away.
“We want all truck users, NATO and road transport union to leave our highway. Let them acquire their own park and allow the contractors to finish work at a specified time.
“You have to tell all other drivers to leave highways, you must have a yard to park your vehicles. You need the road to do your business, therefore, you must allow the contractor to work on the road. If you leave your trucks on the road, there is no way the contractor can finish the job,” Fashola said.
The minister stated that defaulters of the quit order will be penalized for obstructing federal highways.
“Asphalt is being destroyed by the oil truck drivers poured on it on a daily bases which the contractor must replace before the continuation of work to the next level; this leads to wasting resources that could have fast track the road construction,” he said.
Piero Capitanio, who is the Managing Director of Salini Nigeria Limited – the contractor handling the Suleja-Minna road repair, appealed to the federal and state governments to assist the company to control the inflow of traffic especially as work has begun on the road.