The Federal Government, through the North East Development Commission (NEDC), has reawarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the 102-kilometre Darazo–Dukku–Bojude road linking Bauchi and Gombe states.
The project documents were formally handed over to Tamusa Construction Company in Darazo, Bauchi State, with the NEDC saying the rehabilitation was aimed at addressing the worsening condition of the major highway and restoring smoother movement across the two states.
The re-award comes barely three months after LEADERSHIP’s earlier extensive report, which documented the devastating human cost of the Gombe–Dukku corridor’s prolonged deterioration.
The report found that for residents, a journey to access healthcare, trade or other essential services had become a dangerous ordeal, with families forced to navigate potholes, failed shoulders and eroded sections.
Beyond the loss of lives, the report revealed that the road’s condition was imposing a heavy economic burden on communities and transporters.
The report further established that the suffering persisted despite years of government promises and billions of naira reportedly released for interventions connected to the wider Gombe–Dukku–Darazo corridor.
Speaking at the handover, NEDC Gombe State Project Coordinator, Architect Usman Muhammad, said the Commission was implementing various infrastructure and development programmes designed to improve living conditions across the North-East.
He urged the contractor to prioritise quality and timely delivery, stressing that the road was critical not only to residents of Gombe and Bauchi but also to the wider North-East, where it serves as an important link for communities, commerce and transportation.
The Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Works, Alhaji Danladi Adamu, described the Darazo–Dukku–Bojude corridor as a strategic route connecting communities and states in the region. He appealed to motorists to cooperate with the contractor and exercise caution as construction activities intensify along the route.
Managing Director of Tamusa Construction Company, Engineer Abubakar Bappah, pledged that the company would execute the project to the required standard.
He said the road, stretching about 102 kilometres from Darazo through Dukku in Gombe State to Bojude, was vital to trade, transportation and other economic activities across the North-East.
The project consultant, Engineer Shuaibu Abubakar, said work was progressing satisfactorily and was expected to be completed within one year, while motorists and communities along the corridor continue to use the road as rehabilitation works advance.
