Nigeria: Kogi Community Asks Govt to Fix Shintaku-Gboloko-Oguma Road

The people of Bassa-Nge kingdom in Bassa local government area of Kogi State have identified poor leadership as one of the problems retarding the development of the area.

They also urged the federal and state governments to bridge the infrastructure gap in the area, particularly the construction of the Shintaku-Gboloko-Oguma Road, which they said had been in a poor state for decades, negatively affecting the economic and social lives of the people.

They also called for unity and collaboration by the people of the area to fast-track its development.

The leaders spoke at the launch of the Bassa-Nge Progressive Union (BNPU) interim executive committee at Gboloko, the headquarters of the Bassa-Nge community. The programme coincided with the 40th day prayer for the late King, Brigadier General Abu Ali (rtd)

While unveiling the union, M.B. Abdullahi, who is also the Makama- Daniya of Bassa-Nge Kingdom, and secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT), said the occasion marked an important milestone in the journey of the newly incorporated union.

Abdullahi said, "We have gathered not only to celebrate unity, but to lay a solid foundation for progress, accountability and purposeful leadership that will accelerate development in our land."

He said the interim executive committee had been carefully constituted to provide direction, stabilise the structures, and steer the affairs of the union during the six-month transitional period.

Abdullahi therefore urged all Bassa-Nge people, both at home and in the diaspora, to support the team in their assignment.

There were paper presentations in honour of Ali, who they said worked tirelessly for the unity and development of the community during his lifetime.

In one of the papers, titled "Strategic Importance of Bassa-Nge Progressive Union as a Tool for Social and Political Emancipation of Our People," Dr Abdulmumini Yakubu Umar, said the union must have leaders with progressive minds and leadership qualities to avoid political and social risks.

He urged them to ensure unity among Bassa-Nge speaking communities and avoid socio-cultural imbalances in the area.

Additionally, Jacob Edi, the Kakaki Bassa-Nge, stated that the union has developed a strategic development plan for the next 200 years, adding that the community would soon witness progress.

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