Guma Uses Road Construction To Fight Insecurity, Says Chairman

The Chairman of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Maurice Orwough, has said his administration is using road construction and improved infrastructure to strengthen security and facilitate access to communities affected by attacks.

Orwough disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting an account of his administration’s achievements in the last two years.

He said the initiative was being implemented in collaboration with the Benue State Government, with the state expected to provide 60 per cent of the resources for road projects, while the local government contributes the remaining 40 per cent.

According to him, the strategy is aimed at opening up communities, particularly those located along the Benue-Nasarawa border, and enabling security agencies to respond more quickly to emergencies.

Guma is among the areas of Benue State that have been severely affected by attacks attributed to herders, with some vulnerable communities located near the Nasarawa border.

Orwough said the council had commenced the construction of a five-kilometre asphalt road linking Igbian and Udei, describing the project as strategic to improving access to communities in the area.

He explained that the road would provide access to Yogbo and Nyiev council wards, both of which are located around the border with Nasarawa State.

“So that is why the governor of Benue State deemed it fit to say that every local government chairman should ensure that their LGAs are free of insecurity.

“So we embarked on the construction of a five-kilometre road. If you know Igbian to Udei, where we are constructing the asphalt road now, it is about five to six kilometres.

“From there, you can link Yogbo, which is one of the council wards that is at the border of Doma LGA. The Nyiev Council Ward itself is also at the border.

“So the five-kilometre road we are constructing is opening up Udei. That will link to where security will have access to the two council wards around that area,” he said.

The chairman added that the council was extending its road construction programme to other border communities, including the Umenger-Bakin Coaltar route, which connects Guma with Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

He said work would also extend towards Torkula, which shares a boundary with Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Orwough, however, appealed to the state and Federal Governments to intervene in the construction of the Gbajimba-Daudu road, which he said had continued to hamper security operations in the area.

“If the state and federal governments agree to construct the Gbajimba-Daudu road for us, we will appreciate it because it is really giving us problems as a local government. Security cannot respond as expected because of the bad road,” he said.

The chairman listed other infrastructure projects executed by his administration to include the ongoing asphalt construction of the Ngban-Udei road, construction of five major culverts along the Daudu-Ukpiam route and reconstruction of a collapsed culvert along the Origbo-Gbajimba road.

He also cited the construction and reconstruction of the local government chairman’s office and administrative block, Personnel Department block and Finance Department block at the council headquarters.

Beyond infrastructure, Orwough said his administration had also recorded achievements in healthcare, water supply, agriculture, education, security and human capital development, while providing support to traditional institutions.

He described the past two years as a period of responsibility, challenges, learning and service, stressing that leadership should be measured by its impact on the lives of the people.

Orwough pledged to continue engaging residents and working with relevant stakeholders to address the challenges confronting communities across the local government area.

He added that the council’s development efforts would continue beyond the two-year mark.