BY, BAPZENG BAPKEK SWARLAT
Residents of Langtang South Local Government Area this morning, being the 13th of May, 2026 staged a peaceful protest in Mabudi, the headquarters of the council, demanding urgent government intervention over the persistent lack of potable water and poor road infrastructure in the area.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “No Water, No Votes,” “Water is Life,” and “Enough of Empty Promises,” the protesters, mostly youths, marched through major streets in Mabudi to express frustration over what they described as years of abandonment by political leaders.
Langtang South, created in 1991 following the split of the former Langtang Local Government, is one of the prominent local government areas in southern Plateau State, known for agriculture, commerce, and its rich cultural heritage. Despite its strategic importance and decades of political representation at both state and federal levels, residents say the area has remained underdeveloped.
The protesters lamented that access to clean drinking water has become a daily struggle, forcing women, children, and the elderly to trek long distances in search of unsafe water sources.
“We cannot continue like this. We are a traumatised Local government in the whole 17 local government of Plateau State. Over 28 villages without water. Water is a necessity, not a privilege,” Comr Judah C Marchap said. “How can a local government lack a stable water supply in 2026?”
Residents also decried the deplorable state of roads linking communities within the LGA, describing them as death traps that worsen economic hardship and limit access to healthcare, education, and markets.
The protest comes amid growing dissatisfaction with both current and former elected representatives, whom citizens accuse of neglecting core developmental responsibilities while focusing on political campaigns.
Community leaders at the protest called on serving officeholders and former representatives to prioritize essential infrastructure rather than seasonal promises ahead of elections.
Comr. KD KANTAK ZION, a National Health Fellow and President of ZAF Nigeria said the “No Water, No Votes” campaign signals a shift in voter consciousness, with citizens increasingly linking electoral participation to tangible governance outcomes.
Residents urged the Plateau State Government, relevant ministries, and elected officials to urgently address the water crisis by rehabilitating moribund water schemes, drilling functional boreholes, and investing in sustainable rural water systems.
They also called for the immediate reconstruction of key roads within the LGA.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, the message from
Langtang South appears clear: basic necessities must come before ballots.
Post Comment