Lafia — Residents of the many slums of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital have resorted to self-help initiatives to provide access to their homes, Daily Trust observations have shown.

Observations have shown that many areas of Lafia are cut off from others due to official neglect of the town before and after it became the state capital 13 years ago. But the administration of Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma rose with a project to provide the town with access roads and a perfect drainage system.

However, the contractor - CCECC, has continued to sleep over this project with not even the drainages in site yet. But the commissioner for Works and Transport, Salihu Ofoku Giza has called for residents' patience since he had promised work will pick up by last month's end.

The contractor was, last week seen on Doma Road Junction where the state government decided to construct a roundabout - an aspect of the project initiated to ease the traffic congestion in the city.

In the meantime, residents are devising means to create access to their homes. Daily Trust has observed many of them using wheelbarrows to remove piles of sand which the rains often bring into the streets.

Some of them spoken to said they have decided to handle the provision of access and drainages by themselves since they have lost hope in the project.

"I noticed residents in other parts of the town doing it, so, we also decided to engage on this self help. We mobilize and remove sand which floods push into the streets; we also create drainages using means available to us", said a resident who refused to give his identity.