NAN-H-109
Project
By Yakubu Uba
Girei (Adamawa), Feb. 27, 2018 (NAN) Adamawa Government has commenced training of road maintenance groups for rural roads repair under the World Bank-assisted Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP-2).
The Project Coordinator of RAMP-2, Mr Abbas Muhammed, launched the training on Tuesday in Koh village of Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa.
He says the project is a World Bank and French Development Agency assisted project in support of Federal Government Rural Travel and Transport Policy (RTTP) in collaboration with Adamawa Government.
Muhammed said the training became necessary because majority of those in the maintenance groups were farmers with limited knowledge and technical know-how of carrying out earth road maintenance activities.
He explained that the training would not only equip the road maintenance groups with relevant skills needed to carry out the tasks effectively but also create employment and empower
the rural poor.
He noted that “the primary challenge of the earth roads is deterioration within short period of time due to usage and running water.
“The community-based road maintenance, which is one of the major components of RAMP-2,
is, therefore, designed to provide prompt repair to rural roads to increase the life span of the roads.’’
In institutionalising this system, he added, people living on the corridor of the roads were elected, formed and registered as members of Road Maintenance Cooperative Society Limited for the purpose of maintaining the roads on routine basis.
“It is also envisaged that the road maintenance groups will transform to micro enterprise in the future, and will have the capacity of liaising with the state or local governments to take responsibility of maintaining the roads in their respective communities.
The project coordinator explained that the groups would be provided with working tools and monthly stipend to boost their morale.
Some of the trainees expressed joy over their involvement in the programme which they said provided them with opportunity to serve their communities.
Godiya Ibrahim, a trainee, expressed delight to be a member of the maintenance group, saying it was a job opportunity for some of them.
Another trainee, Isa Suleiman, said being a member of the maintenance group was a source of empowerment and an opportunity to serve his community.
The RAMP-2 World Bank-assisted project is worth 50 million dollars. (NAN)
YMU/HA
========
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu