A Ticking Time Bomb on Muhammad Maccido Way: The Federal Government’s Neglect of Yakubu Gowon University

On the fringes of Nigeria’s bustling capital lies Yakubu Gowon University, a citadel of learning named after one of the nation’s most iconic leaders. Yet, the road that leads to this institution—Muhammad Maccido Way—stands as a glaring testament to the Federal Government’s negligence. Once envisioned as a pathway to knowledge, it has morphed into a death trap, a shadowy stretch where streetlights flicker into oblivion, barricades crumble like forgotten promises, and hawkers swarm in a chaotic sprawl, waiting for the next tragedy to strike. This is not just a road; it’s a time bomb, and the students of Yakubu Gowon University are its unwilling hostages.

As a student servant leader, I recently led a delegation of committed comrades—Comr. Nubuti Peter, Comr. Udah Honest, and Comr. Brandon Okorie—on a courtesy visit to one of our own, an alumnus whose life was irreversibly altered by this neglect. Comr. Man of Letters, as he is popularly known, welcomed us with the warmth of a brother, though his eyes carried the weight of a story no one should have to tell. His tale is one of resilience amid ruin, a stark reminder of the cost of apathy.

Comr. Man of Letters recounted his ordeal with a calm that belied the horror of his experience. It was a day like any other when he set out for the mini campus to submit an assignment—a routine task for any student. But fate had other plans. A vehicle, speeding through the dilapidated school gate on Muhammad Maccido Way, struck him with brutal force. The hit-and-run left him broken, his hand amputated, his dreams hanging by a thread. As he spoke, I saw not just a man recounting a personal tragedy, but a symbol of the countless lives at risk due to the government’s blind eye.

His story hit me hard, stirring memories of my own brush with this relentless menace. In June 2023, I witnessed a nightmare unfold. JB, a 400-level student brimming with potential, was knocked down by a reckless driver on the same treacherous stretch. The scene was chaos—blood pooling on the asphalt, bystanders frozen in shock, and a young man left to die. My conscience wouldn’t let me stand idle. I rushed him to Yakubu Gowon Teaching Hospital,Gwagwalada, where, by the grace of God and the skill of the doctors, he survived. That day etched itself into my soul, reshaping my thinking and igniting a fire within me. I vowed then and there that the barricades must be restored to standard, and functional streetlights must illuminate the path from Airport Junction to the staff quarters at Giri. No more lives should hang in the balance because of neglect.

This isn’t just about infrastructure; it’s about humanity. The memory of Simi Love, a 200-level History student whose death in Sunday 2017 sparked a massive protest, looms large. Her life was snuffed out on this same road, a victim of the same systemic failure. Eight years later, the echoes of that tragedy reverberate, a haunting warning that history could repeat itself if we do not act. This is a clarion call, an SOS to the Federal Government for urgent intervention. The blood of Simi Love must not stain our hands again.

To our alumni who have soared to great heights, I turn with a plea: Comr. Man of Letters needs you. His talent, his grit, his words—they deserve a platform, not pity. Intervene. Help secure him a job worthy of his potential. He is not just a victim of circumstance; he is a casualty of Yakubu Gowon University’s neglect, a brother abandoned by a system that should have protected him. Let us not tear ourselves apart in courtrooms over petty rivalries when our own are suffering. Our alumni must rise to their responsibility, not just for him, but for every student still walking that perilous road.

To all stakeholders—government officials, university management, community leaders—this is your moment. The students of Yakubu Gowon University are crying out for aid. The barricades must be fixed, the streetlights restored, and the hawkers managed before another name is added to the roll call of the fallen. We cannot wait for another protest, another death, another headline to force action. The time is now.

As I pen these words, I see the faces of JB, Comr. Man of Letters, and Simi Love. They are not just stories; they are my resolve. Muhammad Maccido Way is more than a road—it’s a lifeline. And until it is safe, I will not rest. Neither should you.