Sissala Youth Forum wants roads tarred

The Sissala Youth Forum (SYF), a non-political organization, has appealed to government, to as a matter of urgency, consider tarring three of the major roads leading to Tumu, the district capital, by middle of 2016.

The youth said they would advise themselves if the Tumu –Gwollu, Tumu-Han-Wa and Tumu-Wallembelle roads were not tarred by the time line given.

Other major roads such as thr Tumu-Wahabu-Kojokperi, Tumu-Gwollu Hamile and Tumu-Sissili roads as well as feeder roads including Nabulo-Tumu, Nabugubelle-Tumu and Jeffisi-Gwollu roads were currently virtually impassable.

For the tarring of the Tumu-Han-Wa road, the SYF tasked government to complete it by the end of this year.

“There is no bargaining on that. We think our patients have been misunderstood for a weakness”, the SYF said.

At a press conference in Tumu on Thursday, SYF’s President, Luriwie Mohammed Kanton, said the simple excuse that road rehabilitation was capital intensive had been accommodated for far too long.

The SYF urged government to immediately release funds for all roads and bridges under construction, and added that the rest to the 2016 budget.

Mr. Kanton said the SYF’s demand for government to fix the roads had come about as a result of cumulative pain for total neglect.

The people had suffered enough; Mr. Kanton said, adding that the impact of good roads on poverty alleviation and rural transformation could not be over.

He explained that good road infrastructure promoted inter sectoral linkages between agriculture, industry and service that enhanced income diversification strategies among rural household.

The SYF noted that feeder roads and link roads leading to many of the communities that produce food stuff had been in deplorable state and people were unable to travel to the district capital to purchase farm inputs during the rainy season.

Mr. Kanton urged government to construct the roads in the district to open up the communities to boost food production and promote the economic and livelihoods of the people.