From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Following the death of six secondary school students who drowned while returning from writing the just concluded Basic Education Certificate Examination at Ribang community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung over the weekend visited the affected families and called for urgent assistance for them.
Last Tuesday, six students of Government Secondary School, Fadan Chawai from Ribang community were not fortunate to return home when they drowned in the same Mbang River they had earlier crossed with their colleagues.
The lawmaker who lamented the poor state of the road that led to the community and the lack of a bridge appealed to the governments at all levels to consider the plight of the people by constructing a bridge for the community.
Senator Katung pledged his resolve to continue to collaborate with the state and Federal Governments to bring social amenities to the people, especially communities that are in dire need of assistance.
He prayed to God to comfort the immediate family, Chawai Chiefdom, and the entire people of Kauru Local Government Area and hoped that their deaths would be like a sacrificial one that would open doors for the entire community.
Earlier, the village head of Ribang, Mr. Garba Madaki, thanked the Senator and his entourage for the visit, adding that the community has never received such a high-profile individual.
While lamenting that the community lacks social amenities like access roads and health care, the village head appealed to the government to come to their aid as they are finding it difficult to transport their farm produce to the markets.
Meanwhile, the Senator on Saturday, met with different groups from the Senatorial zone in continuation of presenting his scorecard to different stakeholders, having spent one year in office.
During an interactive session with the Forum of Southern Kaduna Professors in Zonkwa, Senator Katung told the gathering that very soon the Senate would organise a public hearing on the bill he sponsored for the establishment of a Federal University of Applied Sciences Manchok.
He urged them as academicians to ensure they contribute meaningfully during the public hearing to make the dream a reality, even as he is confident the bill will receive presidential ascent as soon as it is passed into law by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Speaking separately, the leader of the team, Professor John Gambo Laah, Prof. Alexander Kure, and Prof. Abbas Sodangi all commended Senator Katung for starting on a good note, and his attempt to change the old way of representation.
They also commended him for uniting and providing leadership to all representatives from the zone and urged him to continue to put the people first in all that he does and also reach out to ordinary people.
