Justina Asishana – Minna
Over 2,000 youths from various communities in Zugeru in Niger state blocked the Zugeru-Kontagora road to demand the rehabilitation and construction of roads leading to Zugeru.
The Nation learnt that the protest, which began at about 10 am, led to the cancellation of the visit to the Zungeru Hydro Power Dam by the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman.
The youths decried the state of roads leading to Zugeru which, they said, had been destroyed by heavy trucks conveying equipment to Dam site.
Their leader, Comrade Bello Shariff, said the entire communities surrounding the Zungeru Hydro Dam in Zungeru town in Wushishi Local Government of Niger State had no good roads leading into and out of them.
“Our communities and source of livelihood have been expose to untold hardship due to the decaying roads by the serious traffic of heavy trucks conveying equipment to Dam site resulting to daily loss of lives, loss of man hours because of hold up, affecting business and economic activities and difficulty in conveying agricultural outputs to markets by the predominantly farmers in the communities,” he lamented.
He stated the communities were aware that the financing facility for the construction of the Zungeru Dam was to cover for the rebuilding and as well converting them to reinforced concrete highways for some major routes in the state to withstand the conveying of heavy equipment’s to the dam site.
“Unfortunately, we have not seen any work being done on these roads and the roads are becoming more unmotorable as each day goes by.”
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The youths, led by Shaffi, while presenting a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari through the Deputy Governor of Niger state, Ahmed Mohammed Ketso said: “As host communities, we wish to humbly request your good office to kindly intervene as a matter of urgency in ensuring that the Syno Hydro Company begins the rebuilding/rehabilitation of their major routes as they did from Zungeru to Dam site to reduce our suffering due to construction activities.”
Ketso went to Zungeru, to address the protesting youths urging them to be patient as the federal government is taking steps to address the roads.
He assured the communities of the state’s unflinching resolve to get federal government attention and to fix all roads especially the ones linking Zungeru Hydro Power Dam.
He assure the youths that the letters would be delivered to President Buhari.
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