Nigerian Newsday

The social responsibility of any government includes significantly, the provision of infrastructure for the betterment of the citizens.

Basically, provision of water, accessible road, health care facilities, security and electricity are among the social responsibility of any government.

As significant as roads are in aiding the easy movement of persons and goods from one place to another, most especially in this side of the globe where the only available and affordable means of transportation is land, some major roads in the state are still suffering from utter neglect.

The Lafia-Obi-Keana road which was constructed in the 70s is to say the least, a shadow of itself. Owing to neglect and reckless abandon by previous governments, the road has become noting but an assemblage of potholes today.

It is indeed, interesting to note that the said road is the "biggest" road in the whole of Nasarawa South Senatorial District. Better still, the road leads to towns of Obi, Awe, Keana, Azara and a host of other villages where a substantial deposit of the solid minerals which the state is known for, are found. In Obi for instance, we have a large deposit of coal. Awe Local Government ( and Azara village to be specific) millions upon millions of naira is currently being realized through the exploration of Baryte. Keana, the home of salt, has in the past served the salt need of the entire northern region and beyond.

Regrettably, these towns have no good road to allow for the free and easy movement of goods and services which in turn, is expected to positively affect the economic fortunes of the people of these areas suffering as a result of poor road network. A drive from Lafia to Obi for instance, is a 39 kilometre journey that can be covered in less than half an hour. But due to the nature of the road, it often take over two hours to complete the journey.

Appeals have been made by the representatives of the affected communities to the authorities concerned all to no avail.

The road in question, it must be stressed, need urgent attention. It takes a journey along the road for one to appreciate the suffering of commuters who ply the road almost on a daily basis.

The need to give the road an urgent attention cannot in any way, be over emphasised. Happily enough the present administration has assured of its readiness to provide roads for the economic transformation of the state. Every effort that needed be done to rehabilitate the road should not be spared because doing so would amount to compounding the woes of countless road users who ply the road as well as the well-being of the economy of the state.