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By our correspondent
Youths, women and civil society groups in Benue State have occupied bad portion of the 66 km Otukpo – Obi – Oju federal road carrying placards with various inscriptions to protest against deplorable state of the road.
Mr Arubi John – Obor, the convener of #FixIgedeFederalRoad# movement, while speaking with newsmen during the protest in Obi LGA of Benue state, decried the absence of the Federal and State Governments in terms of infrastructural development in Igede nation.
John-Obor said fix Igede federal road protest was aimed at drawing attention of authorities toward reconstruction of the dilapidated Otukpo-Obi – Oju federal road.
He said the Otukpo – Obi-Oju since its construction in 1986 has not received maintenance of any kind either from the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) or the Ministry of Works and Housing in the last three decades.
He explained that the protest would serve as an instrument through which the voices of Obi – Oju people in Igede nation would be heard by relevant authorities to put a stop to the injustice and marginalisation of the Igede nation over the years.
John-Obor called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to direct total reconstruction of Otukpo-Obi -Oju Federal road to give Igede nation sense of belonging in Nigeria.
“For so long, this impunity have been going on by contractors handling the rehabilitation of Otukpo- Obi -Oju federal road since it was constructed in 1986, kidnapping, robbery and killing are going on daily basis.
“We have seen where the maintenance is being carried out on the section of this road particularly 5 kilometers away from Otukpo town and stopped at at David Mark Golf Course for years now.
“What have we done to deserve all these injustice and marginalisation in our own country, who is behind this impunity, we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to come to our rescue by directing the reconstruction of this road,” he said.
Also speaking, Andyson Iji – Egbodo, National President, Igede Youths Council, said the protest was apt given the outright neglect of Igede region by the Federal Government.
He said that the importance of Otukpo – Obi – Oju Federal road could not be emphasised as the road connects Igede region to Ebonyi and Cross River States, noting that it also serve as a link to Ado local government Area in Benue.
“Otukpo-Obi – Oju Federal road serves multipurpose needs, the major transporters in Nigeria are plying this road carrying farm products from Benue state to several parts of the country.
“The road was awarded for about four times, and in each of the four times the contractor would only worked on the section from Otukpo to Golf Course, which is about 5 km away from Otukpo town out of the 66 km.
“What’s the sin of Igede, we are crying to the whole world, relevant authorities to join us in asking them why the maintenance of Otukpo – Oju federal return road cannot go beyond 5 km – from Otukpo town to David Mark Golf Course,” he pleaded.
On her part, Ire Ogah, women group leader, said the kidnappings and killings of innocent people along Otukpo – Obi -Oju Federal road is on the increase due to its deplorable state, she called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently intervene.
“What have we not done, we participated in every election year, voted massively for our political leaders and yet they have failed us, we want this road fixed before the general election by the federal government of Nigeria,” she said.
