Senator Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung, representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, visited the Ribang community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State to offer condolences and advocate for urgent infrastructure improvements following the tragic drowning of six secondary school students.
Last Tuesday, six students from Government Secondary School, Fadan Chawai, tragically drowned in the Mbang River while returning from their Basic Education Certificate Examination.
Senator Katung expressed deep sorrow over the incident, highlighting the dire need for a bridge and better roads to prevent future tragedies.
“The poor state of the road and the absence of a bridge are unacceptable,” said Senator Katung. He urged all levels of government to address these issues, hoping the students’ deaths would lead to necessary changes.
He also prayed for comfort for the grieving families and the entire Kauru Local Government Area.
The Senator committed to collaborating with state and federal governments to bring essential amenities to underserved communities.
Ribang’s village head, Mr. Garba Madaki, thanked the Senator for his visit, noting the community’s lack of basic facilities like healthcare and passable roads.
Madaki appealed for governmental assistance, emphasizing the community’s struggle to transport farm produce to markets.
In a separate event on Saturday, Senator Katung met with various groups from his senatorial zone to present his one-year progress report.
During an interactive session with the Forum of Southern Kaduna Professors in Zonkwa, he discussed the upcoming Senate public hearing on his bill for establishing a Federal University of Applied Sciences in Manchok.
He encouraged academics to actively participate to help realize this dream, expressing confidence that the bill would soon be enacted.
The professors, including Prof. John Gambo Laah, Prof. Alexander Kure, and Prof. Abbas Sodangi, praised Senator Katung’s leadership and efforts to bring about meaningful change.
They urged him to continue prioritizing the people and reaching out to the broader community.
Salama News reported that Senator Katung also met with the Christian Association of Nigeria, Southern Kaduna, and the People’s Democratic Party leaders from the eight local government areas in his senatorial zone to update them on his first year in office.