The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Government to include states in the North-eastern region of the country in the Renewed Hope Legacy Road Infrastructure Projects of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The call was sequel to a motion sponsored by Distinguished Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) during the plenary.
The Senate noted that the non-inclusion of the North-eastern states in the projects will further worsen the infrastructural challenges of the region.
It will be recalled that the legacy road projects of President Tinubu administration are the Sokoto – Badagry Superhighway (SBS), connecting Sokoto (North-west) to Badagri (South-west); Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway (LCCH) (South-south) and Calabar – Ebonyi – Benue – Kogi – Nasarawa – Abuja Superhighway (South-west and North-central, respectively).
The roads will interconnect the country and bring unprecedented socio-economic growth as well as foster national unity and integration.
Distinguished Senator Goje, a former governor of Gombe State and ex-minister of state for Power and Steel, in his motion, complained that the North-east was marginalised in the siting of the projects.
Stressing that the non-inclusion of the North-eastern states in the projects will further worsen the infrastructural challenges of the region.
The senator blamed banditry, terrorism, Boko Haram and other security challenges in the region on the lack of adequate road infrastructure networks.
Mr Goje also maintained that the marginalisation of the region in the siting of road projects will affect the economy of the country.
He, therefore, requested that President Tinubu accommodate the North-east in the road legacy projects.
The senator specifically wanted the federal government to include the Calabar-Makurdi-Jalingo-Yola-Maiduguri Highway in the project because “it will integrate the North-east into the road project”.
However, Distinguished Senator Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) seconded the motion as well as Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South) also supported it.
“Responding, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, expressed gratitude to Mr Goje for sponsoring the motion.
“I want to thank the distinguished Senator Goje for bringing this motion. It is clear, “ he said.
The Senate president however put the motion to vote and the majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.
Mr Akpabio subsequently ruled accordingly.