Edo Community Leaders Association in the FCT president, Vincent Ighile has urged the Federal Government to complete the dualisation of the Benin-Auchi-Okene road, which has turned into a death trap.
Ighile made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria after a stakeholders meeting of the association in Abuja.
He said that the government should hasten work on the road project to save the lives of commuters using the road.
According to him, the road has completely broken down and required immediate intervention.
“The terrible state of the road is causing untold hardship to our people back home and has prevented them from pursuing their day-to-day activities.
“Most crops get bad due to the delay in transportation from the source to its destination while commuters now lose quality hours as a result of the traffic gridlock,” he added.
The association president said it was cheaper now to travel by air than drive through the dilapidated Benin-Auchi-Okene road.
Ighile said that they have made several appeals to the government to repair the road before it becomes completely impassable.
“The road has become a death trap and spot for kidnappers to carry out their evil activities,” the association president added.
He, therefore, appealed to the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola and members of the National Assembly to save the situation.
“Look at the sufferings and untold hardships of the good people of Edo and commuters who hold their hearts in their hands when using the road.
“Commuters at times spend days on the road when heavy trucks fall or vehicles break down,” he said.
Farmers demand protection from bandits, herdsmen
National president, Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN) Mr Daniel Okafor, has called for the establishment of farmers security outfit to combat the incessant killings of farmers by herders and bandits.
He said that the recent increase in the high cost of food items was as a result of farmers not going to farms, as they should because of activities of herders and bandits.
“We have lost some of our farmers while working on their farms both men, women and youths.
“This is impacting negatively on production and economic growth,” he said.
He said there was a need to also train farmers on security tips and more training on agricultural best practices to improve production.
Okafor appealed to the Federal Government to make a special budget available to farmers to boost production in the face of post-COVID-19 recovery.
