All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders of Bida/Gbako/Katcha federal constituency are supporting Niger state government’s closure of Bida-Minna road to articulated vehicles for easy rehabilitation, while tasking federal government to hasten completion of the Lambata-Lapai-Bida road.
Secretary of the APC stakeholders of the constituency, Malam Yahaya Mustapha, said Niger state government preempted the youth of the communities with its decision, as they were set to protest against poor accessibility to their homes, farms and hospitals due to the challenges posed by the articulated vehicles impacts on the roads.
Yahaya told Blueprint on Tuesday in Kaduna that, “the deplorable condition of Bida – Minna road has been one of the greatest nightmares to the people and government of Niger state. The state road witnesses on a daily basis a very high volume of vehicular traffic, especially articulated ones that use it as a shortcut between many states in the northern part of the country and the southern part.
“The unceasing and frustrating flow of traffic of these heavy trucks has led to total dilapidation of the road, thereby converting it to a deadly route for the teeming masses of our community in particular and other Nigerians who ply the road. When the state government took the decision to close the road to such vehicles, it was a big sigh of relief for our people.
“To APC stakeholders of Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, Niger state government took the bull by the horn in a bid to ensure uninterrupted rehabilitation of the road. While the decision of the state government to close the road to heavy vehicles was acknowledged and greatly applauded, we are dismayed and disappointed with the pressure mounted by the federal authorities to reopen the road to these vehicles.
“This will not only jeopardise the lives of our citizens but also undermine the ongoing rehabilitation work on the road. It is ironic that the federal coercion is coming at the time we expect the federal authorities to come to the aid of the state government due to the challenges being faced on the overused road by hastening work on the Lambata-Lapai-Bida Road.
“We unequivocally stand by the earlier decision taken by the state government on closure of Bida-Minna Road. We urge, with deep sense of humility, the state government to stand by the early pronouncement to close the road to all articulated vehicles. This is to avoid any drastic, but peaceful action by the restive youths and indeed the community.
“We are calling on the government to within five days (20th -24th September, 2020 ) close the road to save our lives and provide the environment to rehabilitate the road. We can no longer sit and watch our people suffer in silence nor tolerate glaring discomfort and continuous (but avoidable) fatal accidents.”
