Youths in Niger State under the aegis of the Coalition of youths and civil society organizations have threatened to take action if the protesting Articulated Vehicle Drivers failed to show understanding and vacate Lambata-Bida and Bida to Minna roads within 48 hours.
It could be recalled that heavy-duty vehicle and tanker drivers have blocked the Suleja-Lambata-Bida road since Friday, protesting the alleged restriction of the movement by Niger State Government due to ongoing reconstruction of Minna-Bida Road.
Addressing the Journalists in Minna, the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Niger State Chapter, Bello Shariff said the protesting drivers have heightened the pain of poor governance already faced by the citizens in the state.
Other associations represented at the briefing include the Niger State Chapter of Youth Lead Nigeria Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), Northern Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Niger State Students in Diaspora, Concerned Shiroro Youths, North Central Youth Parliament (NCYP), National Associations of Nigerian Students, Niger East Youth Frontiers (NEYFRO) and Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN)
Sherif expressed displeasure on the manner the national representatives of the state at the national assembly have kept quiet on the way Federal Government responded to rehabilitation of dilapidated Trunk A roads in the state, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and National Lawmakers from Niger State to ensure that part of the new loan sought by the Presidency captured the reconstruction of Lambatta-Lapai-Bida and Jebba-Tegina-Birnin Gwari Federal roads.
According to him “Over the past few years, many of us have got the reasons to discuss and analyze the state of affairs in our darling Niger State, the pulse and the trend have been too ugly despite continuous hope and unflinching optimism and patriotism demonstrated by all to see the state positioned for greatness, considering the number of Trunk A roads traversing the length and breadth of Niger state, being a gateway between South and Northern part of the country.”
He said the blockage of road by the members of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Association of Tanker Drivers for the past three days had caused citizens and innocent travelers untold hardship, pains, and uncertainties.