The Bassa-Nge Community Development Network has issued a passionate appeal to key political leaders in Kogi state and the federal government, calling for urgent intervention in the rehabilitation of the Shintaku–Oguma road, which they described as “beyond deplorable.”
In an open letter addressed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, Senator Jibril Isah Echocho of Kogi East, and Hon. Paul Gowon representing Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency, the group lamented the devastating impact of the road’s condition on the daily lives of the Bassa-Nge people and surrounding communities.
According to the letter signed by Joseph Emmanuel Yaba, President of the Bassa-Nge Community Development Network, the Shintaku–Oguma Road serves as a critical economic and social link connecting Bassa Local Government Area to the rest of the state. However, years of neglect have rendered the road nearly impassable, particularly during the rainy season.
The group listed several consequences of the road’s deterioration, including: Delays in accessing healthcare, especially for pregnant women and the sick; Economic losses for farmers unable to transport their produce; Rising transportation costs and damaged vehicles forcing drivers off the route; Increased insecurity due to poor accessibility and isolation.
While acknowledging the efforts of the current administration in addressing inherited infrastructural challenges, the Bassa-Nge leaders emphasized that the Shintaku–Oguma Road has become a symbol of long-standing neglect that must no longer be ignored.
“We appeal to you, in the spirit of equity and good governance, to prioritize the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Shintaku–Oguma Road,” the letter reads. “The time has come for Bassa-Nge people to feel the impact of governance and inclusion in developmental strides.”
The group expressed confidence in the ability of the addressed leaders to respond with decisive action, stating that history would remember them as the ones who “reconnected Bassa and renewed the hope of our people with shared prosperity and progress.”
