Roads Can’t Replace Security, Good Governance, Senator Lawal Adamu Fires Back at Critics

Senator Lawal Adamu Usman
Mr. LA

 

.... As Senator Adamu Insist on position; Says "Roads Are Welcome, But Nigerians Need Security, Good Governance."

..... "While road construction remains an important component of national development, it cannot, on its own, address the worsening insecurity, killings, economic pressures and governance concerns confronting millions of Nigerians."

The recent criticism directed at Senator Lawal Adamu Usman over his call for the Federal Government to prioritise insecurity, economic hardship and good governance alongside infrastructure development has been described as a misplaced attempt to ridicule a legitimate demand for accountability.

While road construction remains an important component of national development, it cannot, on its own, address the worsening insecurity, killings, economic pressures and governance concerns confronting millions of Nigerians.

The senator’s position, according to those familiar with his intervention, was not a rejection of road infrastructure or development projects, but a call for the government to properly balance its priorities and respond urgently to issues that directly threaten the lives and livelihoods of citizens.

Indeed, a good road is of limited benefit to communities where residents live in fear of banditry, kidnapping and attacks, or where farmers are unable to access their farms because of insecurity.

Similarly, infrastructure development must be accompanied by economic policies capable of easing the burden on households, creating jobs, supporting businesses and improving the purchasing power of Nigerians.

The attempt to portray the Senator’s intervention as opposition to development therefore misses the substance of his argument.

Government exists not only to build roads and physical infrastructure but also to protect lives and property, promote economic prosperity and ensure that public resources are deployed in ways that produce tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.

The Kaduna State Government’s argument that the road reconstruction forms part of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Agenda is understandable. However, infrastructure policy should not become a shield against legitimate questions about security and governance.

Citizens have the right to ask whether development priorities adequately reflect the urgency of the challenges they face.

Rather than ridiculing such questions, supporters of the administration should welcome them as part of the democratic process and use them to strengthen governance.

Roads, bridges and other infrastructure are necessary for development, but security is the foundation upon which development rests. An unsafe environment undermines investment, agriculture, education, transportation and virtually every other economic activity.

Senator Lawal Adamu Usman’s intervention should therefore be viewed within this broader context: the call is for a government that can simultaneously build infrastructure, secure communities, improve economic conditions and deliver accountable governance.

That is not an attack on development.

It is a demand that development must ultimately translate into safer communities, better livelihoods and a higher quality of life for Nigerians.