On Tuesday Nigerian former Senate President, Senator David Mark, stressed the need for inclusive governance targeted at the welfare of the governed for democratic government is to thrive in Nigeria.
Senator Mark stated this while flagging off three rural roads at Katanga Warji in Warji Local Government Area of Bauchi State and called on governments at all levels to open up rural communities through construction of accessible roads.
According to the former Senate President, opening up rural areas would bring development closer to the people.
While commending Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, for his administration’s efforts in construction of rural roads across the state, Mark urged the governor not to relent in this direction until he linked all rural communities in the development.
Speaking at the event, Governor Mohammed said his administration had embarked on massive roads construction across the state, considering the fact that roads were pivotal to development.
According to him, accessibility is key to effective governance, adding that apart from having access to government, rural areas ought to be opened up for the people to have such access.
Governor Mohammed said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government in the state prioritise changing the perspective of governance in the state with a view to making Bauchi State ranked tops among its contemporaries in the country.
The three roads to be constructed, according to the governor, would cost the state government the sum of N7.3 billion, adding that the construction would last for a period of 24 dry months.
While expressing confidence in the ability of the contractors, Habibu Nigeria Engineering, to deliver as expected, the governor urged the company to do a quality job on the roads.
Earlier in his welcome address, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said that development of any areas would be measured by roads.
The commissioner declared that without good and accessible roads a state could not be regarded as developed.
Ibrahim revealed that since the inception of the Governor Mohammed administration in the state, the administration had been able to complete 10 roads across the state, adding that 19 others were at various stages of completion.
According to him, the roads were being constructed by the Mohammed-led administration with a view to opening up the rural areas across Bauchi State for grassroots development.
