By Sani Idris
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday inaugurated a rehabilitated 1.5km road at the Federal College of Education (FCE), Zaria.
Fashola, represented by the Federal Controller of works, Kaduna, Mr Finbarr Zirra, said that the rehabilitation was part of interventions for internal road in the institution.
He said that a lot of work needed to be done in many sectors including education to improve the economy.
According to him, the gap in infrastructure was steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways.
He said it was un-debatable that the quality of education would be impacted by quality of infrastructure and a conducive learning environment.
“Those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedback from students in the schools where this type of interventions has taken place”, he said.
The minister further said that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing had successfully intervened in the internal road networks of 46 tertiary federal institutions and handed over 29 as at 2021.
He said that the ministry currently has another 17 ready to be handed over while also attending to 30 roads in similar institutions across the country, making a total of 76.
“The students are expressing renewed enthusiasm with regards to attending classes because some defective roads have been restored to good condition.
“This is consistent without progressive ideal of improving human condition; and that process continues here today as we hand over the FCE, Zaria, as a critical intervention to support education,” Fashola said.
He noted that during construction, 70 people were employed in the process, thereby contributing to job creation initiatives of the Federal Government.
He urged the school to ensure that the roads which had become an asset was used properly.
In his remarks, the FCE Provost, Dr Sulaiman Balarabe, said the roads were in a deplorable state for long before the intervention by the Federal Government through its Ministry of Works and Housing.
Balarabe said that the students, staff and visitors of the school would walk and drive in ease and carry out their normal activities without dusts and other hitches associated with bad roads.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the intervention through the ministry and urged them to do more in the institution to enable learning in a more conducive atmosphere.
Some of the students, who expressed joy over the rehabilitation said they always leave the school with their clothes covered with dust and was uneasy while driving in the institution.
They commended the provost for addressing their plights and thanked the government for the intervention.
The students also and urged the government to do more for learning to continue to take place in a conducive environment. (NAN)