From Moses Mbaiorga, Gboko
Angry youths of Mbatser community, Mbayion, Gboko Local Government Wednesday, September 13, 2023 blocked Gboko-Aliade road as they protested against the dilapidated bridge at Nomnor stream.
Nomnor stream is located along Rice Mill – Fidei Polytechnic on Gboko – Aliade- Otukpo road which also connects Benue, Taraba and Adamawa States to the southern part of the country.
During the protest, some of the aggrieved youths sent cryptic messages to the federal government through the placards they displayed, demanding immediate repairs of the damaged portion of the road.
Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “all we need is repair the bridge, federal government”, ” the bridge is our last hope for commuters within the community and Nigeria at large, federal government should do the needful, reconstruct it in one week; and the last one read, “federal government should come to our rescue, construct the bridge in one week”, respectively.
Commuters plying to and from Gboko axis were visibly stranded as they could not continue with their journeys due to total blockage by the irate youths.
Speaking with The Voice, leader of the protesters, Comrade Jeremiah Korgba said, the drastic action became necessary so as to draw government’s attention for immediate intervention to the death trap in their community.
According to Comrade Korgba, the road has been in a dilapidated state for over a year but government seems to be careless about it. FERMA came since June as though they want to intervene but to no avail. Therefore, they (the Youths within the area) cannot fold their hands to die in silence.
“We took the action to protest against the dilapidated state of the bridge linking Rice Mill and Fidei Polytechnic settlements because government doesn’t want to do the needful and we can’t die in silence. FERMA officials were here since June this year but you can’t point at what they have done”
Another youth, Comrade Michael Iortim in a chat with The Voice called on the federal government to be responsive in repairing the damaged bridge to avoid unforeseen contingencies.
“I want to urge the federal government to reconstruct the damaged bridge to avoid stories that touch the heart”
Meanwhile, none of the government representatives had come to address the protesters and efforts to talk to FERMA did not yield fruits at the time of filing this report.
