It is with heavy heart that I learnt that the Yobe state Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam would soon begin the construction of flyover in Damaturu.
Flyover is geared towards easing traffic congestion within the metropolis and not for the beautification of the city as conceived by many Yobe citizens.
Is Damaturu a congestion city to build a flyover? Where is the traffic jam that will lead to the construction of a flyover in Damaturu? Frankly speaking, the construction of a flyover in Damaturu is a colossal waste of resources in a state like Yobe that require social infrastructural projects like hospitals, schools and provision of clean water. The state government should consider using part of the sum project to develop the rural areas in the state.
But, permit me to say here that, the performance of Governor Gaidam’s administration has been commendable especially in the areas of roads construction.
However, there was a publication in Daily Trust of 13th January 2016, explaining the negligence of authorities on the welfare of IDPs in some camps within the state, no matter the motive behind it, the issues required serious investigation to ascertain its veracity. The publication has gone viral and had spread everywhere; there is need for urgent intervention to know the real situation. Here is a piece of advice to the Yobe State governor.
One, the governor may consider paying an unexpected visit to those camps for self-assessment. Two, he should constitute a strong committee with clear terms of reference to design better options and ways of responding to the need of IDPs in those camps, and three he should create a linkage between the services been offered at the IDPs camps to his office to fast tract emergency response.
The issues of flyover and the lives of the IDPs need a serious response from the government of Yobe state.
Zanna Samaila wrote in from Damaturu, Yobe State. He can be reached at [email protected]
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
