The National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Chris Isiguzo, has called on Governments at all levels to expedite action on construction and rehabilitation of roads across the country to save lives of the citizens.
Isiguzo, who made the call in his opening remarks at the annual National Executive Council Meeting (NEC) of the NUJ in Lokoja on Thursday, decried the dilapidated state of roads across the country.
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He said most of the delegates to the NEC meeting, the highest decision making body of the union, were held up on Auchi-Okene, Okene-Lokoja and Itobe-Ajaokuta-Lokoja among other roads.
The NUJ President said a lot of Federal and state roads in the country had collapsed.
“The roads are in terrible conditions and making life on the roads a nightmare. Therefore, government across board should rise to the occasion.
“The principal responsibility of any responsible government is to ensure the security of lives and property of the citizenry,” Isiguzo said.
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He commended Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for changing the narratives of the state with what he described as “uncommon achievements” in the areas of security and provision of infrastructure.
Chief Edward Onoja, the state Deputy Governor, who declared the meeting open, said the administration had been able to surmount issues of ethnicity, religion and social barriers that had hitherto bedevilled the state.
He said that against ethnic barriers and religious barriers there was harmony in the state adding that 95 per cent of people serving in the present administration were children born without silver spoons, thereby addressing issues of class.
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Onoja said Ankpa township roads, the second largest rice mill in the country to Kebbi (Lake Rice), Ejule-Umomi-Ugwolawo-Ajaka-Idah road, and Ife-Olukotun road would all be commissioned before the end of the year.
He expressed the readiness of the Gov. Yahaya Bello administration to partner newsmen in the state without any harassment from any quarter.
Earlier in his welcome address, Adeiza Momoh-Jimoh, the Chairman, Kogi council of the NUJ, commended the state government for facilitating the successful hosting of the 2019 NEC Meeting of the NUJ in Lokoja, the state capital.
Adeiza urged the state government to fulfilled earlier promises made to the council by the state governor.
