By Tukura Matthew

Managing Director of Nasarawa State Urban Development Board, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ango has identified the construction of sub-standard or complete lack of drainage at Mararaba/Masaka along Keffi-Abuja dualised road as the main factors causing flood on the road and to the residences in the area.

Alhaji Ango stated this in an interview with Nigerian Newsday in Lafia last week.

In case of Masaka, Alhaji Ango said there was no provision for drainages at both sides of the dualised road while in Mararaba, the drainages constructed were sub-standard with narrow and shallow gutters.

He said "it should have been much wider and much deeper to be able to carry the volume of rain water that comes from the international market area."

Alhaji Ango said the state urban development board had written an official complaint to the state commissioner for works with video clips attached on the havoc caused by rain water to the residents of Masaka and Mararraba for onward submission to the federal ministry of transport.

He said since the dual carriage way had not been commissioned and handed over to the federal ministry of transport, the contractor who executed the project still had the responsibility to correct any mistake done on the dualisation of the road.

He said engineers from the federal road maintenance agency sometimes back were in Masaka and Mararraba to inspect the affected areas but did not come back or made any move to solve the flooding problem.

Since the dualisation of Abuja-Keffi road, there has been public outcry particularly among Masaka/Mararraba residents on the threat of flood any time it rained.