TheCable

My earlier article, Abuja-Kaduna Road, generated some responses. Some pleasant and some unpleasant. I wasn’t surprised. It goes with the terrain. For those who devote time to writing and publishing in the public domain, the cardinal rule is to be prepared to take the comments that would follow suit in stride, or you might never write again.

The Abuja-Kaduna Road debacle became a national embarrassment. It was such an unthinkable experience. If a national debate is launched on the state of the road, the comments would come in torrents. That was how bad the situation was.

In 2018, a former classmate narrated how his car was riddled with bullets on his return to Abuja from Kaduna. We were meant to travel in a convoy of three cars. But I was held back, and he left. Midway through the journey, he was ambushed, and his car riddled with bullets. It was a miracle that he survived that. So many others have their experiences, too. But they didn’t share it.

I recall in my earlier article, I commended that individual or group responsible for the quick fix on that stretch of the road. I didn’t know of the efforts of an individual that I make bold to call a patriotic Nigerian in all ramifications.

I had an encounter with him, and I was dumbstruck when he reeled out facts. He backed it with pictorial evidence. The interesting part is that he is a constant user of that road. Senator Babangida Hussaini is a former permanent secretary in the ministries of Works and Defence.

His interventions were two-fold. He was a director in the Federal Ministry of Works for several years before becoming permanent secretary and posted to the Defense Ministry. He negotiated the contract for the reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna road. It took him and some directors close to two months to finalize the nitty-gritty of the deal with the overarching objective of bringing about a long-lasting solution.

While in the Ministry of Defence, he engaged the Chief of Defence Staff on the need to take charge of the Abuja-Kaduna road. To him, it was unthinkable that the military could not secure a stretch of less than 200 kilometers. He mentioned that he suggested setting up mini super camps every five kilometers. This was aside from other operational strategies in place.

Seating in front of Senator Babangida Hussani, the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), is one experience I will forever cherish. He was unassuming. He was calm, and the passion with which he spoke gave me goosebumps.

As the Permanent Secretary of the works ministry, he insisted that pending the reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna Road, Julius Berger must ensure that quick fixes are made. He mentioned that whenever he plied that road, he took videos of bad portions and sent them to the contractors for quick fixes. I saw the before and after videos. I understood the fact that he was trying to convince me. But I didn’t need that because I was having goosebumps all over with the realization that such people still exist.

He didn’t see the need to blow his trumpet. For him, it was about the interest of the country. He also feared karma because he was regular on the road, and the only option was to ensure that the right thing was done.

Hear this: “I was a part of the strategy team that developed the blueprint that addressed the security threats on that road.” During our conversation, I told him he has double honors. He was a Permanent Secretary in the works and defense ministries. These are two key ministries saddled with addressing the Abuja-Kaduna road impasse.

His actions were noteworthy. But, play back the scenario. What if he had acted in the interest of swelling his pocket? The Abuja-Kaduna road would have remained a bad story—that of sorrow, tears, and blood.

Individuals such as Senator Babangida Husenni are in short supply in the country. I won’t go into details. But the encounter with him remains indelible. During his stint as Permanent Secretary in the works and defense ministries, he gave his best.

He retired as a Permanent Secretary in 2022. Today, he is a senator and chairman of the Senate Committee on FERMA. The Ministry of Works must do well to constantly engage him to bring about a lasting solution to the Abuja-Kaduna road debacle. He brimmed with life as we conversed. He was fresh in thoughts. He is an asset that the country must harness.

He is open to making contributions. He still does, by the way, and more can be done if his opinions are solicited. The bottom line is finding a long-lasting solution. Pray to have an encounter with him; then, you would understand why I had goosebumps.

What he did was not voodoo. It is common sense. Those holding positions of authority in the ministries of works and defense must study the example of Senator Babangida Hussaini. It is worthy of study, and the gains would be innumerable.

I salute the courage of Senator Babangida Hussaini. I don’t need a soothsayer to convince me. There are indeed some Nigerians that are passionate about this country. He is one of them.

Ocheja, a military historian and doctoral researcher, can be reached via [email protected]