Stakeholders of Agbashi Community in Doma Local Government Area have appealed to the Nasarawa State Governent to begin the construction of the 25 kilometres Idadu-Agbashi Road.
The appeal is contained in a statement signed by Prince Gambo Ogiri, Secretary General, Agbashi Development Association (ADA), Mr Donald Epoh, Chairman, Agbashi Youth Mobilisation Network (AYMN) and Mr Idakwo Benjamin Esewija, President, Agbashi Students Union (ASU), in Lafia on Thursday.
According to the statement, members of the community are deeply concerned over the continuous delay in the construction of the road captured in the state’s 2021 budget.
This, it stated, has caused socio-economic hardship and insecurity on the community and its environs.
“The Nasarawa State Government under the leadership of Gov. Abdullahi Sule had recently included the Idadu-Agbashi road project for construction in Doma South Constituency in the 2021 Appropriation Law of the state but contract for the project is yet to be awarded, it said.
The statement added that due to the status of the road, innocents lives had been lost to the activities of armed robbers, kidnappers and herdsmen.
“The criminal elements have taken advantage of the bad road network to unleash mayhem on the people and travellers.
“We strongly decry the gruesome murder of a young graduate of the Federal University of Lafia and a member of the community, Mr Kabiru Awashu who died on the April 23, 2021.
“And numerous others on the road which have become a nightmare for travelers in recent times,” the statement said.
It stated that the situation had also deprived the people of the community of their major source of livelihood which is farming and turned the once vibrant community to a shadow of itself.
“Furthermore, the recent skirmishes between herdsmen and farmers in the area has equally worsened the situation, crippling human and vehicular activities on the road which is in dire need of government attention.
“The project, if completed, will not only open up the area but add value to the economic development of the state through agriculture and other socio-economic ventures,” the statement said.
The stakeholders, therefore, called on the state government, as a matter of urgency, to award the contract for the 25 kilometres Idadu-Agbashi road project.
“This is imperative so that work can commence in earnest and the project completed for the benefit of the people of the community affected and the state at large,” it added. (NAN)
