From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
All Progressive Congress (APC) Forum, has called for President Bola Tinubu’s urgent intervention of in the rehabilitation of the federal roads scattered across the North Central region.
The Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, made the call on Tuesday in Jos during a media chat with newsmen on the forthcoming last quarter meeting of the forum in 2024 which he said would be slated for October.
He said among the topmost of their agenda will be the deplorable infrastructures in the North Central region, especially the deplorable state of the federal roads across the region.
He said ahead of the meeting it had become imperative to call on the president to come to the aid of the region in terms of the roads reconstruction, stressing that the North Central region is a critical region in the institutionalization of this democracy, the APC victories and the election of President Tinubu, and as such it is imperative for the people to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
The chairman pointed out that among the three zones in the North, the North Central region has the most deplorable roads and highways. According to him, those deplorable roads have cost lots of hardship on the people as well as preventable accidents which has cost the lives of many over the years.
He noted that some of such roads include the Jos – Akwanga road, Makurdi – Oturkpo – Otukpa road, Makurdi – Ankpa road, Jos – Saminaka/Kaduna road, Minna – Bida road, Ejule-Otukpa road.
Others are the Ganawuri-Manchok road, Lokoja – Abuja road, Lapai – Agaie – Bida road, Birnin – Gwari – Bokani – Mokwa road, and Minna – Zungeru-Tegina-Kontagora road, amongst others.
He therefore urged the President to use his good office and intervene in the reconstruction of those deplorable roads in the region, saying that provision of good good roads are vital enablers of development.
“Iif the President can intervene in these critical roads, he will be endeared to the hearts of the people of the region and would galvanize the people to take favourable political decisions for the President in his consequent political aspirations or quest, than when money are distributed to greedy politicians on behalf of the region, of which they will end up embezzling.”
He also called on the North Central governors to intervene in reconstructing the roads where necessary and then seek for refund from the Federal Government as it is being done in other states or region.
Again, Zazzaga urged the President to speedily consider the replacement of Minister from Plateau State, as it is the only state without a minister, after the resignation of Simon Lalong, as the Minister of Labour and Employment to take up his senatorial seat, as the Senator representing Plateau South zone.