By Correspondent in Lokoja
Residents of Ganaja/Gadumo, two suburbs of Lokoja in kogi state, have appealed to the contractor rehabilitating the 17-kilometre Ganaja road to save them from the dust related diseases by wetting the road in the interest of public health.
They made the appeal in separate interview with the correspondent of The Reporters in Lokoja on Wednesday at Gadumo and Ganaja.
They expressed dismay over what they described as slow pace of work on the road and the attendant hazard to public health.
” We are really passing through difficult time in the ongoing rehabilitation of the road,in that there is no much water apply in keeping the road wet at the appropriate time. We are just inhaling dust emanating from the rehabilitation work on the road.
“The road is a very busy one as many vehicles ply it to the various parts of the eastern and else where in the country.
” I understand some tenants, especially though with asthma,have left Gadumo to a much secured places in Lokoja to avoid a situation where dust will compound their health challenge, Mohammed Ali, one of residents told The Reporters.
Maimuna Usman, among other residents decried the slow pace of work on the road, saying that the volume of dust that characterise the reconstruction of the road “is something else” as the dust has taken over the road, thus posing danger to public health.
“Although on few occasions, we use see tanker wetting the road, there is need for the contractor to give priority by wetting the road frequently to reduce dust,”Usman said.
“Every where is dust, most especially those of us living close to the road. As we are inhaling the dust, we are getting closer to contracting dust related diseases, so we are begging the government to do something urgent about negative development,”Issa said.
Issa called on the Commissioner for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Ohere, to prevail om the contractor to do the needful in reducing the dust and to speed the completion of the road.
Some of the residents, however, commended the government for the rehabilitation of the road, but emphasize its speedy completion.
Efforts by our correspondent to seek the reaction of the contractor proved abortive.
The road plays crucial role in the social and economic development of Kogi state and the nation at large in that most of the vehicles coming from the northern part of the country to the eastern part pass through the road.
