Residents of Angwan Jarawa and the larger Farin Gada community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest, accusing the Plateau State Government of failing to fulfil repeated promises to rehabilitate a strategic road they say is vital to transportation, commerce and emergency services.
The protesters, comprising youths, women, elders, commercial motorcycle operators and other residents, marched through the community carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs as they demanded the immediate reconstruction of the road, which they said has deteriorated over the years.
Residents said the road serves thousands of people, including students of the University of Jos, traders, commuters and neighbouring communities, but has become almost impassable, particularly during the rainy season, disrupting businesses, damaging vehicles and delaying emergency response.
Speaking during the protest, Youth Leader of Farin Gada, Steven Joseph Zaruma, alleged that successive administrations had repeatedly promised to reconstruct the road but failed to honour those commitments despite several inspections by government officials.
“Our demand is simple. We want the government to construct our road. We have been promised repeatedly that work would begin, but nothing has happened. The road is only remembered during election campaigns,” he said.
Zaruma described Farin Gada as a strategic community in Jos North, noting that it hosts one of the area’s major tomato markets, several schools and serves as an important route for thousands of residents.
He said despite its ethnic and religious diversity, the community had remained peaceful and supportive of government programmes, adding that residents were disappointed their repeated appeals had produced no results.
“We have maintained peace, promoted unity among all ethnic and religious groups and supported the government over the years. Yet our cries have not been heard. This protest is a collective appeal for government to fulfil its promise,” he added.
The protesters said the poor condition of the road has increased transportation costs, made movement difficult for motorists and pedestrians and exposed residents to avoidable risks.
Chairman of the Okada Riders in Farin Gada, Akaso Abimbi Dalami, said commercial motorcyclists now spend huge sums repairing motorcycles damaged by the road, while passengers, especially pregnant women and sick persons, face serious hardship.
“The road is causing us serious hardship. Our motorcycles break down regularly, and passengers often fall because of the bad sections. Transporting pregnant women or sick people has become extremely difficult. We are pleading with the government to come to our aid,” he said.
Also speaking, Women Leader of Farin Gada, Mrs Salome James Dawar, said residents resorted to the protest after repeated appeals to government authorities failed to yield results.
“We have appealed many times for help, but it seems nobody is listening to us. That is why we came out peacefully to plead with the government once again to fix our road. We will continue to appeal until our voices are heard,” she said.
Former Youth President and Security Chairman of Farin Gada, Joshua Iku Akubaka, said the poor road network had also hampered emergency response within the community, with delays sometimes affecting the evacuation of critically ill patients.
He urged the government to prioritise the reconstruction of the road, warning that residents were becoming increasingly frustrated after years of unfulfilled promises.
The protesters maintained that the demonstration was peaceful and intended solely to draw government attention to the deteriorating condition of the road and its impact on the livelihoods of residents.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Government had not issued an official statement on the protest.
