N3.9Billion Spent But Gombi–Ga’anda–Fotta Road Remains A Death Trap, Adamawa Communities Decry 15 Years Of Neglect

Adamawa Residents Cry Out Over Abandoned N4.6 Billion Road Project

October 1, 2025

Residents of Ga’anda–Fotta and the wider Gombi axis have urged Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, to urgently address the decade-long abandonment of the Gombi–Ga’anda–Fotta Road, which they described as a “death trap” despite swallowing billions of naira.

The 36-kilometre highway, which includes three bridges, was first awarded in December 2009 by former Governor Murtala Nyako to A.G. Vision Construction Nigeria Limited at a contract sum of N4.6 billion, with a two-year completion deadline.

Shockingly, records indicate that about N3.9 billion—nearly 80% of the contract value—has already been disbursed, yet the project remains incomplete and in disrepair.

Initially, delays were blamed on insecurity following Boko Haram attacks in 2014. However, insiders revealed that the contractor deliberately slowed work to miss deadlines, later seeking contract variations—an alleged ploy by politically connected firms to inflate costs and exploit the system.

In 2022, the Adamawa State Executive Council terminated the contract over non-performance. Still, more than a decade later, the road lies in ruins, cutting off communities, crippling trade, and endangering lives.

Speaking on behalf of the affected communities, Kadams Birgamus Gangrang lamented the waste, stating:
“Billions were spent, but our people remain trapped in neglect. This road is the lifeline of farmers, traders, students, and patients. Governor Fintiri must re-award the contract to a competent firm with strict oversight so that public funds finally translate into real development.”

Residents condemned the project as a deliberate case of contract failure and mismanagement, stressing that what was meant to uplift rural livelihoods has instead become a channel for looting, leaving citizens to bear the painful consequences.