The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to declare an emergency on the Naka- Makurdi-Aliade-Gboko and Aliade-Otukpo Federal Road Network in Benue State, linking the Northern and Southern parts of the country.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of a motion moved by Hon. Austin Achado at the plenary on Wednesday.
Moving the motion, Achado said the Naka-Makurdi-Aliade-Gboko and Aliade-Otukpo Federal Road Network constitute the major road axis linking the North-East and the North-Central regions of the nation to the South-South and the South- East through Benue State.
The lawmaker said the condition of the federal road network has become an albatross and a huge embarrassment to the farming communities, other strategic users and commuters that transit goods through Benue State.
He expressed concern that the strategic road axis has become so dilapidated that it was now tagged death-trap and security threat to all contiguous citizens that use it for transportation of grains and yams from Benue to the Southern and Northern States of the nation.
Achado said apart from reducing those commercial activities as a result of high rate of accidents on the road and loss of man hours, the poor condition has drastically increased activities of criminals, armed robbery and kidnapping, which have become more frequent due to the poor condition of the road.
The lawmaker expressed concern that the road network has been ignored for so long despite the
havoc it wrecks on the nation’s food security, especially at this moment of increasing economic
pressure on the rural population.
He said he was convinced that an emergency intervention to restore the Naka-Makurdi- Aliade-Gboko and AliadeOtukpo Federal Road Network, has both security and economic implications that should be immediately addressed.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Ministry of Works to ensure that adequate budgetary provision is made in the 2024 budget to comprehensively address the deplorable road.
It also mandated the Committee on Works when constituted to ensure implemention.