Senate asks FG to include north-east in ‘Renewed Hope’ road projects

The senate has asked the federal government to include the north-east geopolitical region in its ‘Renewed Hope Legacy Road Projects’.

The resolution of the upper legislative chamber followed a motion sponsored by Danjuma Goje, senator representing Gombe central.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the national construction and household support programme.

Under the programme, Sokoto-Badagry highway, which will traverse Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, was listed as priority.

Moving his motion on Wednesday, Goje, a former governor of Gombe, said the north-east has been marginalised as seen on a map released by the works ministry.

“The legacy projects, as shown on the map designed by the federal ministry of works, excluded the north-east geopolitical zone from the whole equation,” he said.

“And this has stimulated unprecedented concerns and agitations from the region in view of the strategic roles these projects will play in this country. Hence the need to include the north-east in the projects.

“The non-inclusion of the north-east in the projects, which includes Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, has raised myriad concerns about unequal development and potential marginalisation of the region, which will further worsen the infrastructural challenges of the region.

“The security situation of the region has been further exacerbated due to lack of adequate road infrastructure networks that make it susceptible to all manner of security challenges, ranging from insurgency, banditry, among others.”

The motion was adopted by the red chamber after it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.