The Nation Newspaper

Tag: rural

  • ‘We are committed to developing rural communities’

    The chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Micah Jiba has re-affirmed his commitment to the provision of infrastructural facilities for residents of rural communities in order to enable them to develop and have improved living standard.

    Speaking with journalists in Abuja Jiba revealed that when he assumed duty in 2010 as the council’s chief, he made a promise to the people that, with the mandate given to him, he would not disappoint them, adding that as the council chairman; he will try to meet their immediate demands. He confessed that God has been helping him to fulfill the promises.

    The council chief, who is also the chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) FCT chapter, said since he made that promise to the residents, he has not deviated from his responsibility as the council boss, saying that improving the living standard of people at the grassroots is his priority.

    “I remember in May 20 this year when we celebrated one year in office of my second tenure, we inaugurated many projects, and at the same time distributed about 10 vehicles to the Nigerian Police Divisions of the AMAC.

    “We have started with this number; we will do more for the rest 22 police divisions in AMAC.

    “We also inaugurated a functional healthcare centre in Waru community under Kabusa Ward. We equally inaugurated one of the 1.2 kilometre asphalt road at Abuja Mechanic Village. We sunk a borehole at Area 1, Section 1, at Tudun Wada, where I completed my secondary education.

    “I have laid a legacy by building staff quarters for teachers and there are ongoing constructions of Jiwa Township and Damagaza Roads. It can be confirmed if there is any community that we have not sited a project during this tenure. We will do more in the rural communities because they deserve better things,” he said.

  • Tackling rural poverty through adopted villages

    Tackling rural poverty through adopted villages

    Farmers from rural communities have been the  focus of the adopted villages project undertaken  by the Federal Government designed to institutionalise sustainable livelihoods for the rural poor. Stakeholders see the project as having the potential to end rural poverty. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Aikali Musa (not real name) is a farmer in the North.For years, he has been a subsistent farmer, planting maize and beans. Often times, he had experienced low yields or total crop failure due to poor rainfall.This is because his farm is situated within a dry land and susceptible to drought. Added to this, he has not been benefiting from new agricultural techniques.

    Musa is not alone in this predicament. There are thousands of rural subsistence farmers who have no access to farming techniques and input.

    For these farners however, there is a light at the  end of the tunnel. The adopted village model of agriculture initiated by the Federal Government is beginning to turn the fortunes of these farmers around.

    Under the scheme, Musa and others will be trained on modern farming methods and cultivation of drought tolerant crops (DTCs). This will inevitably translate to  improved yields and transform their lives from subsistence to commercial farmers.

    Under the initiative, government and private organisations are increasingly adopting villages across the country.

    The adopted villages’ project, which is akin to the extension worker’s scheme introduced in the defunct Western Region by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is designed not only to make farmers aware of the latest technologies but also demonstrate these on their farms.

    At the end of the year, the village is expected to turn into a model for farmers from other villages to emulate.

    Sakadadi is a quiet agrarian community in Sabon Gari Local  Government Area of Kaduna State. It is noted for growing maize but things have since changed for the communtiy after the National Agricultural Extension Research and Liasion Service (NAERLS), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria decided to adopt the village to impart technologies available in maize production.

    A team from NAERLS are usually deployed in the village to enlighten farmers on how to plant, and dress the seeds, apply herbicides and fertiliser for improved crop yields.

    The project has been making tangible impact on the quality of life and incomes of members of this community as the quantity and quality of agricultural output has increased.

    As a strategy, research institutes are using the adopted village scheme to change the fortunes of local farmers. A farmer who identified himself simply as Abdulrahman said the scheme has changed the fortunes of his community. “We not only produce to feed ourselves and families now, we also have excess which we sell to get income to send our kids to school,” he said through an interpreter.

    Determined to address the poverty challenge among rural farmers, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has directed the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) to revisit and revive the concept of adopted villages. ARCN asked research institutes to adopt villages to facilitate the trial of new research findings and dissemination of information technologies to farm families in the adopted villages.

    Subsequently, successful researches from the adopted villages are adapted and replicated in new locations to benefit farmers.

    In support of this initiative, the World Bank has approved a major funding forARCN to implement a project known as the West African Agricultural Productivity Project (WAAPP) to promote value chain innovation platforms in the adopted villages.

    NAERLS, in collaboration with  WAAPP-Nigeria conduct activities in seven adopted villages located in five agro-ecological zones across the country. These include Sakadadi,Kaduna;Nasarawan-Buhari, Kaduna; Tudun-Iya, Katsina; Shuwari, Borno; Nwogi, Niger State; Okolo, Oyo State, and Lodu-Imenyi, Abia.

    The Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, has two adopted villages.They are Oniyo village in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State. It is about 21kms Northwest of Ogbomoso town. The second is Moloko-Ashipa, located in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. Some of the activities carried out in adopted villages include evaluation of organic-base fertiliser for cassava/maize/melon, on-farm testing of high yieldng and pest resistant varieties of rice and dissemination of ethno-veterinary technologies and improved management practices to sheep and goat farmers.

    Agricultural colleges are adopting nearby villages to help farmers improve their methods and increase yields.

    In Oda village, Ondo State, the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Akure has  a   success story to tell with educating  farmers in modern poultry management.  The  result is better eggs production and  daily sales. The maize/cassava inter-cropping system chosen by Eleyewo village  farmers was used as a training resource for improving productivity in the system.

    The Coordinator, WAAPP /ARCN adopted village programme, FECA, Dr Samson Odedina, said  the programme has  increased yields  for small cassava farmers at Eleyowo village in Akure South Local Government of the state. Though village level processing facility was  manual, farmers have been able  to identifiy opportunities within the cassava value chain.

    According to him, last year, the programme commissioned and trained Eleyowo farmer groups on cassava value addition with equipment support to enable them do business  profitably.

    FECA is one of the three colleges of agriculture adjudged qualified for second round funding.

    ARCN project of adopted villages and schools is based on  performance in spreading proven agricultural technologies to  schools and communities.

    WAAPP-Nigeria’s National Project Coordinator, Prof Damian Chikwendu, said the programme was designed to strengthen the  NARS to contribute to technology development, dissemination and adoption of new technologies to boost agricultural productivity through the adopted villages.

    He said the specific objectives of adopted villages and schools are to enhance food security and market competitiveness, empower resource-poor farmers, enhance job and self-employment opportunities for youths and women and augment sustainable natural resource management efforts of the communities.

    So far, beneficiaries’villages have increased from seven to 23, while groups in the villages have increased from 21 to 105. Direct farmer-beneficiaries have reached a total of 16,500.

    About 17 secondary schools nationwide are participating with over 18,500 pupils’ enrolments.

    He said WAAPP and some universities are disseminating information on improved agricultural technologies through adopted villages to farmers.  The institutions include Bayero University, Kano; Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; Abubakar TafawaBalewa University, Bauchi; Federal University of Technology, Yola; University of Agriculture, Makurdi, University of Ilorin, Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Abuja, FUNNAB Abeaokuta, FUT Akure, University of Nigeria, Nsuka; University of Calabar and the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    On the effective dissemination of agricultural technologies through the adopted villages and the Agricultural Research Outreach Centres (AROCs), he said the universities are expected to reach a minimum of 10,000 farming families in their vicinities.  They are, particularly, required to note the performance indicators as part of their success stories. Such indicators, he said, include the number of people that are adopting the technologies as well as those taking to farming as a result of the new technologies.

    The adopted villages and AROCs are located in the immediate localities and in the secondary schools in the neighbourhood of the research institutes, all within 20 kilometre radius.

    The components of the projects are designed for developing technology and transferring such technologies to farmers. At the moment, experts are seeing positive things coming up to farmers through the adopted village model scheme.

    Crop protection specialist, Prof Daniel Gwary, said helping farming families increase production in a sustainable way and selling more crops is the most effective way to reduce hunger and poverty over the long term.

    Gwary, who is of the Department of Crop Protection, University of Maiduguri, said  helping farmers improve their yields requires a comprehensive approach that include the use of seeds that are more resistant to disease, drought, and flooding; information from trusted local sources about more productive farming techniques and technologies and  greater access to markets.

    For this reason, he  said the ARCN has set up  AROC in adopted villages and schools to help researchers interact and develop technologies that meet the needs of farmers in various agro-climatic conditions in the country.

    He said the research centres will provide effective linkage between extension, research and farmers; and enable researchers to be aware of the social and economic environment in which their developed technologies will be applied.

    Speaking during the handover ceremony of an AROC in Bwari Area Council, ARCN Executive Secretary, Prof Baba Yusuf Abubakar, said the programme would engage 5,000 farmers yearly in the participating area councils.

    Represented by Director of Coordination and Technical Research of the council, Prof. Olusola Oni, he said the research centres would provide effective linkage between extension, research and farmers; and enable researchers to be aware of the social and economic environment in which their developed technologies will be applied.

    “The programme is impacting on the FCT through the dissemination of proven agricultural technologies and innovations from the NARS to farming communities and secondary schools in Abuja Municipal, Bwari and Kuje area councils,” Abubakar said.

    Handing over the centres to the community and the school, the Coordinator of the programme, Dr Ronke Alao, said the inclusion of secondary schools in the programme is to spur pupils’ interest in agriculture and  increase the application of improved technologies in their household farms.

    While appreciating the gesture on behalf of farmers in the area, the leader of the farmers, Sarkin Noma, Salisu Galadima, commended ARCN for considering Kawu village, adding that farmers in the community will take advantage of the centre to improve their farming activities.

    The programme is a collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, the West African Productivity Programme in Nigeria (WAAP-Nigeria) and support from the World Bank.

    For watchers, the project has demonstrated the viability of poverty reduction through entrepreneurial capacity building. It could be repeated elsewhere.

  • Forum seeks development of rural communities

    The Chairman of South West Peoples’ Forum in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Hon. Femi Sanusi has called on political office holders to evolve policies and programmes that would positively affect lives of the people, especially those in the rural communities this year.

    Sanusi stated this at a press conference in Abuja.

    He commended the chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Micah Jiba for his ceaseless efforts in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people at the rural areas. His commitment to people’s welfare, he said, had earned him the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Golden Award of Excellence.

    According to Sanusi, the people at the grassroots deserved better living condition, saying if most political office holders can reach out to the people at the grassroots, Nigeria will be a better place for everybody to live in.

    “Most people at the grassroots have been neglected by subsequent administrations, so much so that they are losing confidence in elected public officers. I believe that if council chairmen could affect the lives of people in their council areas as Hon. Micah Jiba is doing, people at the grassroots will have faith in government.

    “Also, if elected political office holders in the FCT could affect the lives of people at the grassroots like Senator Phillip Aduda who has also remains committed to the well-being of people at the grassroots, Abuja would be the best place for those who are indigenous and non-indigenous to it to stay.

    “I would like to appeal to political office holders to emulate Hon. Micah Jiba and Senator Phillip Aduda by making dividends of democracy accessible to them this year. This is because that is what people at the grassroots expect from their leaders,” he said.

  • Medical mission breathes life into Osun rural community

    Medical mission breathes life into Osun rural community

    Imesi-Ile in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State recently came alive when some medical experts from the United States visited the sleepy and an agrarian community to attend to some of its ailing residents.

    Hundreds of people, even far beyond the community’s borders, besieged the town’s almost disused health facility, which is under the management of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife.

    It was a very rare opportunity for the residents of the community, who are suffering from various life-threatening diseases and ailments to come forward for cure – all for free.

    Dr. Remi Saseun, an indigene who lives in the United States, led 24 medical personnel, including doctors, theatre nurses, surgeons, laboratory scientists and pharmacists, for the exercise.

    According to Saseun, the medical personnel were in the country under the aegis of the Association of Medical Physicians in America (AMPA). He said the immediate past medical intervention of the association was in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Saseun, who disclosed that more than N8 million was expended on medication for the five-day free mission, said two resident doctors and a matron in the health facility joined them to treat the people.

    He said they spent extra thousands of naira in procuring anti-malaria drugs from Nigeria because in the United States people don’t have malaria and, therefore, no drugs for such disease in that country. Within three days of the programme, 921 patients were treated. There were 46 surgeries.

    On top of the list of ailments treated were eye problems, such as cataract, diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension as well as arthritis.

    The officials of the hospitals declined comment because they said they were not authorised to speak but few of the patients expressed joy for the mission which they said had restored their hope and helped them overcome some of their health challenges.

    For instance,  Kehinde Adesiyan, an indigene of the town, lamented that there was no functional government hospital in the community to treat ailments, saying they most times travel as far as Osogbo, Ilesa and Ile-Ife before the residents could receive medical attention for their ailments.

    A refrigerator technician in the community, Peter Aluko; a petty trader, Madam Eunice Esan and a retired civil servant, Pa Adebowale Ajiboye, said they had tremendously benefitted from the medical mission.

    The Secretary of the Imesi-Ile Progressive Association, Pa Jacob Babajide Awowale said, that the people would always be grateful to God and those behind the initiative, particularly, Dr. Remi Saseun.

    However, he joined Dr. Saseun to appeal to governments, both at the state and local government levels, to come to the aid of the people in the rural areas and ensure that they have access to medical care like those in the urban communities.

    “What will  make a big difference in the lives of the people in the rural areas is very small and if various authorities can help these people, their quality of lives would improve and it would make them contribute significantly to national development,” Saseun advised.

     

  • Curbing rural-urban drift, the Iloko-Ijesha way

    I was out of town recently to attend a workshop under the auspices of the UNDP and IPCR (the Institute of Policy and Conflict Resolution). Two things stood out for me in the training workshop for media practitioners. First was the focus of the programme which was on conflict sensitive reporting in the media, a subject which I believe is quite timely considering all the crisis and conflicts in different parts of the country that seem to defy all solutions.

    Another was the location of the workshop which was in Iloko-Ijesha, a community tucked away in the backwoods of Osun State, off the highway to Ile-Ife.

    ‘Why are they holding the workshop in such a rural place?’ was the first thought that came to my mind when I got the invitation to attend the workshop.

    But Emmanuel Mamman, an affable staff of the IPCR had a tangible explanation for choosing such a venue.

    “We know you journalists are very restless people…you are always moving all over the place for news and information. So, we want to put you in a very quiet and secluded place so you will not be distracted!” he stated.

    The plans of the organisers to ‘cage’ us seemed to work. For the four days or so the programme lasted, we were fully engaged with little or no room for any restless, ‘kurukere waka’. And it was mostly thanks to the venue or should I say the village of Iloko- Ijesha.

    Actually, though I had never been there before, I knew of the community by reputation. There’s a very popular school there built by the monarch of the community, the late banker, businessman and philanthropist, Oba Oladele Olashore and I know a couple whose daughter attended the school some years back.

    So, I was looking forward to seeing the top class secondary school that has attracted the patronage of wealthy Nigerian parents who can afford the steep fees. But I was in for a pleasant surprise. It turned out that there was more to Iloko than just the famous institution.

    There was the hotel we were accommodated in for instance also built by Oba Olashore. Picture an imposing, beautifully designed edifice with all the decor and fittings of a swanky hotel in any top city in the country and you get an idea of what the place looked like. It was that impressive more so that it was built smack in the middle of the ‘bush’, in a very rural setting.

    “The owner must have spent ‘serious’ money here. This is a multi-million naira investment,” Sam, a colleague from another newspaper said on the evening of our arrival as we took stock of our surroundings.

    I could not agree more. It was not just the hotel or the school that had the imprints of the late monarch. A walk round the community showed more of the impact that the astute businessman had on the place. In fact, to say he solely propelled the community from a rustic backwater to national and international recognition would be stating the obvious. As a resident of the village put it succinctly: “Who knew Iloko before? It used to be real bush here! It was the late Oba that transformed this place, making us enjoy so many things today!”

    Some of these ‘goodies’ Iloko residents are enjoying courtesy of their large-hearted townsman include tarred roads, electricity, a church, a Model College, a stadium that could rival those in any city and other amenities.

    The late king, though obviously very wealthy, was not the richest Nigerian. There are many around us with more money than him. But rather than spend his wealth on himself and immediate family alone as some do, his generous heart propelled him to invest in his community in terms of infrastructure, human development and job creation.

    There’s nothing you have in the city that is lacking in this community. Add the serene, peaceful environment, fresh food and fresh, unpolluted air, among other perks of rural life to that and you have a conducive environment to live and work.

    We need more places like this unique community so as to reduce the constant migration of rural dwellers to the cities in search of work. Due to this mass migration, most of our cities including the purposely built showpiece called Abuja, are congested and practically ‘bursting’, leading to too much pressure on the available infrastructure that was not built with so many millions of people in mind in the first place.

    Lagos is a typical case. This is one place that needs to be given a ‘special city status’ because of its unique situation as the honey-pot of the country, attracting hundreds of thousands of migrants each year. Many of these abandoned their livelihoods such as farming and trading in their communities, with the erroneous belief that they would make it faster in the city. And what happens on their arrival? Unable to find meaningful work due to lack of any reasonable skill, no decent accommodation because of high rents and faced with high cost of living, many end up broke and frustrated. And in desperation, some take to crime and other anti-social behaviours. Some even end up on the streets as destitutes, creating problems for the government already struggling to cope with so many demands on its resources.

    It makes sense therefore for more investment to be made in our rural communities to curb this constant drift to the cities by those who falsely believe they can only ‘make it’ in life when they are in Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Kano and other large cities in the country.

     

  • Ogun opens up rural roads

    Ogun opens up rural roads

    Determined to take its urban renewal policy to the grassroots, the Ogun State government has announced plans to constitute road gangs to open up several community roads across the 20 local government areas.

    The state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Olamilekan Adegbite said four different gangs would be established to work on roads in Egba, Yewa, Remo and Ijebu divisions.

    He further explained that these roads are not part of the 12 “Ogun Standard” road projects which the government has contracted out to some firms.

    While addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, Adegbite stated that the gangs were expected to open up, grade and construct culverts where necessary.

    He noted that government arrived at the decision to open up the community roads to ensure access to all the nook and cranny of the state as well as enhance movements of goods and humans; especially the evacuation of agricultural produce from the rural areas to the cities.

    “Government is trying to provide basic motorable roads for the people to ensure easy movement of people and goods from one place to another. This, I believe, will go a long way in realising the urban renewal and rural development components of the five point agenda of Ogun State government,” Adegbite said.

    He added that each gang is expected to spend two weeks in a local government area, promising that the ministry would do its best to address all requests from the State House of Assembly and local government areas.

    The commissioner therefore appealed to members of benefitting communities to cooperate with the gang of engineers by offering assistance as their preoccupation is to open up roads in the rural areas.

  • A lift for rural women

    A lift for rural women

    : 873 trained in different skills

    It was a day of joy for Anambra women when Rural Women Awakening (RUWA) a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with A.U. Foundation empowered them and other less-privileged people.

    Pregnant women; the young; the aged; widows and other less-privileged people gathered at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ekwulobia to receive financial gifts from the non-governmental organisation. They included women from Ihiala; Orumba North; Orumba South; Nnewi North; Nnewi South; Ekwusigo and Aguata local government areas.

    They sang, danced and waved their hands thanking God for His intervention in their lives.

    Some of the women were trained in soap making, fashion designing, and hair dressing, among others.

    Newsextra investigation revealed that 873 rural women were empowered throughout the state in the first phase of the programme.

    Beneficiaries of the interest-free loans are expected to pay back in good time to enable others to benefit from the programme. The exercise will be supervised by coordinators in these local government areas.

    One of the local government coordinators told Newsextra in confidence that each beneficiary of the interest-free loan will collect about N20, 000.

    It is expected that 291 women will be selected from each senatorial zone and three women from each of the 177 communities. The criterion for selection is through balloting.

    One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Mrs. Fidelia Igweike from Nkerechi now called Umuchukwu Community in Orumba South Local Government Area described the gesture from the NGO as amazing.

    She said: “The gesture shows that the God of women never sleeps. The empowerment programme that was meant for only the widow’s has been extended to other less-privileged individuals.”

    For Calista Anagwu from Ihembosi in Ekwusigo Local Government Area, it was a gift from God. He is using the NGO to make the downtrodden feel a sense of belonging.

    Also, Mrs. Beatrice Nwanne praised God for lifting the souls of the downtrodden in the society.

    Another beneficiary of the programme, Sister Chi Nwosu told Newsextra that the hand of God will never depart from the initiator of the programme. Princess Virgy Chukwuogor from Awka South Local Government Area, among others was also jubilant over the gesture of the group.

    However, the founder and coordinator of the programme, Princess Virgy Chukwuogor, told Newsextra that the NGO was one of the ways of realising her dream to make the rural women who have been neglected for too long feel a sense of belonging.

    “It is not only those whose husbands have died that are suffering in the society. Most rural women are hungry and suffering. This is not for any political reason but a vision God gave me to help the rural women.

    “We should not always rely on politicians or our husbands to take care of ourselves as mothers. This is the time for rural women in Anambra State to chart a new cause in their lives.

    “We are also interested in the mental development of the rural women. In the circumstances therefore, any of them that wants to enroll in part-time adult education is free to register now. We will equally take care of the person. We cannot remain in perpetual darkness. Education is the key to success.

    “Some of the people, who we helped to establish small businesses in October, 2012 are doing well. Let us, at least, stop for now from relying on government or our husbands. Let us tell the world that we are capable of standing on our own.

    “I believe in the biblical injunction that we should love our neighbour as ourselves. That is one of the motivating factors in realising the dream I had.

    “God does not hate anybody. We are the architects of our problems in life. This programme will be a continuous exercise,” Chukwuogor said.

  • Jang opens up rural communities

    The agony of poor roads is easing in rural areas of Plateau State, and the people have Governor Jonah Jang to thank for that. Access roads have enhanced inter-community transportation, and farmers are witnessing a boost in their business.

    Jang started with six-km township roads in all the local government headquarters in the state. Next, he assessed the communities grappling with road challenges, discovering that some of them had no roads, while some roads were virtually impassable in other places. Some, too, only needed bridges for the people to use them.

    The governor went to work. The result: those remote communities are now opened up, enhancing communication, business and agriculture.

    About 70 per cent of Plateau people reside in rural areas, with only 30 per cent living in Jos, the state capital. But being the capital, the state government has always concentrated infrastructural development on Jos while majority in the rural areas suffered severe neglect.

    That has been the pattern of development in the state since its creation about 38 years ago. This also necessitated the resolve of the Jang administration to make rural transformation a priority from the beginning in 2007.

    If you ask the rural dwellers in Plateau State what they lack most and what has been their consistent demand from their government, they will tell you access road. The state is made up of so many isolated settlements needing to be linked together with roads.

    As Baba Danladi Meigeri, a farmer in Dokan Kasuwa, community puts it, “You know in the village we are all farmers, our women are traders, road is more useful to us than anything else; only God know how we suffer to get our farm produce to the market. We as villagers have been separated from other villages for lack of roads; it has been tough for us, it has been long we didn’t have roads. But today Jang has solved our problem, we are so appreciative of Governor Jang because he has made us feel we have a government in Plateau state.”

    the state Commissioner for Information and Communication Yiljap Abraham and his Ministry of Works counterpart Chris Hassan who were on tour of some ongoing road projects were almost mobbed by jubilant crowds who were so appreciative of the government’s efforts. They rejoiced over the construction of the Jibam bridge, as well as the extension of the project for the construction of the 13 kilometer road linking Dokan Kasuwa, Kwang, Kwa, Miket, Doemak, Ba,ab communities and the link road to Lafia in Nasarawa State.

    Communities like Longvel, Bapkwai, Gunji-Shiwer, Lankan, Gindiri and several others are villages whose long standing craving for access roads has now been realised. The major significance of this very road project, according to the Commissioner for Works Chris Hassan, is that several villages along these roads are already enjoying smoother and easier transportation of their farm produce to markets within Plateau and also in Nasarawa states.

    The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Yiljap Abraham said: “Every government has neglected these communities until Governor Jang came in. As a matter of fact, this road has been on the budget of the state government since 1981 when I started practicing journalism in this state. So for the past 30 years or more, the people of these communities have been crying to government for attention, and the project has been in every year budget proposal since the first civilian administration but they never see the road done for them. But today, the road is not only been done, they people are already using the road.”

    In Mangu North constituency, Gindiri, another road awarded and abandoned by past administrations has also enjoyed the attention of the present administration. Yiljap Abraham said: “I want you to note that this road was awarded before this present administration took over, but it was abandoned until this government re-awarded it and it is nearing completion. This government had to revive this road, do the variation and expand the scope of the road. The expanded scope took the road project as far as the boundary between Plateau and Bauchi in Lere. It also contains the dualised road to the College of Education Gindiri and also extended to Chanso”

    Yiljap also said: “Constant supervision by government of these projects is to make sure no project we started is abandoned, and to avoid that we don’t owe contractors. This is to allow steady progress of work and we have told all the contractors handling any road projects for this government to complete their work by April this year before the rains set in. Government is giving such deadline because we hope to award another road projects soon, but we want to ensure the ongoing ones are completed before awarding new ones. In a nutshell, government has listed 12 more roads to be awarded this year.

    “What this government is doing is to establish the fact that democracy is working in Plateau state. As far as the redemption government is concern we are on track and we are delivering dividend of democracy to people of Plateau state.

    “Governor Jang through road project is connecting communities, connecting local governments, connecting one senatorial zone to the other; he is connecting Plateau state to other states. In terms of capital investment on roads, the government has so far spent N30 billion on roads, there are about N25 billion worth road projects going on. On the 21st of December 2012, the state executive council awarded more projects worth N33 billion. So if you put all these together, it is massive investment by this government, touching everybody’s life. And for sure, he is so focused and he will deliver.”