From Rashidat AbdulRahman, Minna
Niger State House of Assembly has invited the State Ministry of Works, Rural Access Mobility Project, RAMP, and other relevant agencies to provide explanation for the poor condition of the bridges connecting Kutirko and Estugaie, among other projects in the state.
This was brought under matter of urgent public importance order 8 rule 4 of the state House of Assembly 2019 by the member representing Agiae Constituency, Hon. Isa Muhammad Etsugaie at the floor of the house on Wednesday.
Etsugaie noted that the road from Kutirko to DoKochi, Sallawu to Kenchi Kaza were all in deplorable condition.
“Kutirko Etsugaie road network links over 40 communities whose means of livelihoods on a daily basis are affected negativity “, he said.
He explained that the bridge between Kutirko and DoKochi has collapsed, while that of Sallawu to Kenchi Kaza was in very bad shape and collapsing even as the Kenchi Kaza bridge remains uncompleted, abandoned and unmotorable making those on transit go through Agiae to get to Etsugaie.
He further noted that Kateregi Badegi road in Katcha Local Government Area ( LGA) which was awarded by RAMP was left uncompleted.
The house unanimously resolved that the Assembly will invite the management of ministry of works, RAMP and other relevant agencies to appear before the committee on works to explain why the bridge remain collapsed, abandoned and uncompleted.
It also urged the executive arm of government to incorporate the improvement of access roads in our villages across the state as the urban renewal policy of the government was given priority in the scheme of things.
In another development, the assembly appealed to the executive arm of government to seek the intervention of the federal government in releasing food items to citizens to cushion the hardship faced by the masses following the removal of fuel subsidy.
This motion was moved by the member representing Kontogora 1 Constituency, Hon. Sani Umar.
Umar said that the announcement of the removal of fuel subsidy during the inaugural speech of president Bola Tinubu has brought hardship to the citizens.
“In Niger State, maize which was sold at N400 naira per mudu is now sold at over N800 naira depending on location while rice is now beyond the reach of most homes as a direct consequences of the fuel subsidy removal,” he said
The lawmaker expressed worried that ever since the announcement was made, prices of food have skyrocketed in the markets at over 100 percent.
He stressed that grains such as Maize, millets, wheat, rife and others were among food items stored in the federal governments constructed 33 silos with a combined capacity storage of 1.3 million metric tons located in states like Niger, Ekiti, Kebbi, Zamfara, Borno, Imo, Abuja, Yobe, Bauchi, Osun, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ogun, Anambra, kogi, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa,Kano, Ebonyi, Gombe, Edo, Oyo, Benue, Cross River and Katsina amongst others.
The lawmakers however urged the state government to seek intervention of the federal government in releasing food items of the strategic grains reserve located in Niger state to subsidised rate and cushion the effect of high cost of food items caused by the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.
