By; ESTHER DOZIE, Kaduna
Residents of Gonin Gora, a suburb in Kaduna metropolis have decried the deteriorating state of roads in the area, calling on the state government to urgently arrest the situation.
A cross section of community heads who spoke to our correspondent lamented the bad state of most roads in the area, saying lack of good serviceable roads has hampered growth and development which according to him, should be part of dividends of democracy enjoyed by citizens.
A pathetic situation they attributed to lack of concern from successive administrations in Kaduna State, whom they noted abandoned one of their primary duties of providing infrastructure to people at the grassroots.
A community head who simply identified himself as Silas Mai Ungwa went down memory lane, narrating how he bought a plot of land and developed it info a three bedroom apartment.
” This whole area was a bush when I moved in after my retirement from the Federal Civil Service after 35 years.
” I was almost discouraged from buying the piece of land by friends but I insisted and today the place is full of houses.
” Gonin Gora Community lacks good roads which are catalysts for development that would ensure comfortable inhabitation by people.
” Access roads into the inner parts of the area are not tarred, which makes vehicular and pedestrian movement a nightmare, particularly during the wet season.
” This ugly situation has turned off many prospective people who have indicated interest of joining us to swell in our numbers.
” Our passionate appeal to Kaduna State Government is to look into our dire situation with the aim of bringing road infrastructures to us as it is doing in other places.
” We need good drainage system to channel off surface running water , particularly after downpours, ” he said .
Some strategic parts of Gonin Gora, needing urgent attention from government as reported by our correspondent were Alimosho where locals had over the years been contending with many dilapidated roads , hampering a smooth day-to-day human activities.
Others were; Jezza Road, off Tasha Street , U/zahwu Street, Okunola Street, Lamgyi, just to mention few.
Traders interviewed by our correspondents decried difficulties associated with doing business due to dusty and muddy nature of roads in the area during dry and wet season respectively, saying politician were only seen during election campaigns and disappeared after.
Ugochukwu Dimaku, a trader disclosed that in the past eight years, the bad condition of the road had not seen any improvement, particularly during the wet season.
He added that efforts by leaders in the area to seek government attention had not been fruitful.
A commercial motorcycle operator, Ismalia Muyiwa, also spoke, describing the situation as a nightmare, people there had to live with for many years.
Muyiwa urged the present administration in the state to extend its developmental drive to suburbs such as Gonin Gora to ease the pains experienced by residents.
