“Save Our Souls,” Niger youths tells FG

From Mathew Jwantu, Minna

Niger youths under the auspices of Coalition of Niger State Civil Society groups, a Non Government Organization ( NGO) has expressed disappointment with the President Muhammadu Buhari’- led All Progressives Congress ( APC) administration at the centre over the deplorable federal government roads in parts of the state.

The Spokesperson of the Organization, Comrade Mohammed Etsu stated this on Monday at the IBB Press Centre, Minna, the state capital while briefing newsmen, saying that Niger state has the largest landmass in Nigeria and thus it is easy to see why it has the longest routes of Trunk “A”roads/federal government roads in the country .

He added that these Trunk “A” roads, otherwise known as federal roads, were designed to be maintained by the federal government, while expressing regrets that sadly these roads were all in a deplorable state.

Mohammed Etsu stated further that Niger State has fast federal roads, apart from Suleja- Minna, roaf, noting that the others were Lapai- Lambata- Bida road as well as Bida- Lemu- Zungeru- Tegina road, including Gidigori- Kagara – Mokwa road, while others were Makera- Kontagora road, Kontagora- Yawuri road including Kontagora- Rijau road and Agaie- Baro road, respectively .

Accordingly, he said, the deplorable conditions of these federal roads across the state was causing hardship and restricting transportations to and from the state, adding that the immediate interventions by the incumbent Governor Abubakar Sani Bello’s government in the state were to rehabilitate some of the roads based on grievances shared by the residents, motorists and commuters alike in the state.

On his part, the leader of the organization Mohammed Mohammed said the case of rehabilitation of Minna- Bida road, which attracts massive traffic users has been a trending topic these past weeks, while lamenting that the- Minnna Bida road has been killing people everyday while properties estimated at several millions of Naira were also being destroyed.

According to him, “the reason we are holding this Press conference is to state clearly that the Makera road which is a federal government road has collapsed and that is the reason for the the unusual massive traffic currently being witnessed on Minna- Bida road, as it is the only alternative road for the heavy duty vehicles coming from the Southern Nigeria to the Northern parts of the country”.

“We are drawing the federal government’s attention to please live up to its responsibility. We have to please to the federal government to come to our aid because of continuous abandonment” . He said.

The group lamented that that state is unnecessarily being marginalized despite the overwhelming support given by the state to the federal government both in the 2015 and 2019 general polls in the country.

End