By Correspondent in Minna.
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Niger state chapter and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Niger state have given the Nigerian Association of Road Transports Owners (NARTO) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association of Nigeria (PTDAN) 48-hour ultimatum to vacate the Suleja-Lambata-Bida road in the state or face appropriate action.
The two groups have also expressed over the inaction of the Senators and House of Representatives members from the state for not representing the state well in the National Assembly.
The Reporters recalls that members of NARTO and PTDAN blocked the link roads in protest against deplorable condition of the facilities, demanding urgent need for the government to put them in motorable shape to ease the hardship of drives and commuters.
Addressing journalists at the IBB Pen House during the weekend, the group lamented the hard stance by NARTO and PTDAN members who blocked the Suleja-Lambata-Bida road for about four days running, describing the developmnt as ‘very ungodly’.
According to them, the vacation of the road would allow for free flow of vehicular movement, warning adamant to their ultimatum would attract wrath, including but not limited to taking civil action to liberate citizens being trapped on the highways for days now.
Comrade Bello Barau Sheffi,who spoke on behalf of the group, said they were not unaware of the untold hardship, pains, uncertainties travellers had been subjected to for days in the most perilous atmosphere.
He said the CSOs and their counterparts would explore available civil opportunities in making sure that the two organisations stop their inhuman actions.
Sheffi said:“Subjecting peace- loving citizens of Niger state and other road users to days to hardship and total disconnection from families for days is completely unacceptable.
“The implications of this heinous act is that, these drivers have constituted themselves not only as nuisance but also as a government within government, blocking and stampeding major highways at the slightest provocation.
“Blocking the link roads have not only caused untold hardship but holding travelers to ransom, hence, crippling and halting the day to day activities of other road users, many of whom have lost contact with families who have been subjected to fears and panic.”
“We cannot continue to fold our hands and allow lawlessness take its root by these drivers who are on daily basis destroying our roads and source of livelihood”.
He called on the two organisations to direct all the heavy-duty vehicle drivers to vacate the roads, for free movement of other road users and apologize to Nigerlites and other road users immediately.”
The group disagreed with the demand by members of the NARTO and PTDAN for the re-opening of the Minna-Bida road under construction by the Niger state government for heavy-duty vehicles.
On the performance of the lawmakers from the state at the federal level,Sheriff said the group would not hesitate to institute actions to discontinue their political relevance, if they fail to do something about deplorable condition of federal roads across the three senatorial districts of the state.
“We hereby express our abysmal dismay and dissatisfaction on the attitude of our representatives at the Senate and House of Representatives, on the manner at which issues of dilapidated Trunk ‘A’ roads were handled by the federal government”.
“We also call on President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the National Assembly from Niger state to ensure that part of the loan sought by the Presidency should include provision for the complete repair/re-construction of the Lambatta-Lapai-Bida and Jebba-Tegina-Birnin Gwari federal roads ongoing projects.”
