Plateau Priorities: Why Buses Before Basics?
In recent weeks, the announcement of Plateau State’s Tin City Metro transportation initiative has made headlines and attracted widespread attention.
The plan includes a fleet of modern buses, integration of digital payment systems, affordable fares for workers and promises of safety and comfort.
On the surface, it really sounds like a step forward for urban development.
But when we scratch beneath the surface, a serious question arises: Is this really the most urgent need of the Plateau State right now? The answer is no.
While transport is important, the real and pressing needs of Plateau State lie in health, education, and above all is security.
Plateau Priorities: Why Buses Before Basics?
These three pillars form the foundation of any thriving society.
Sadly, in our current state, these critical sectors are not just severely underfunded but they are in crisis.
No matter how smooth the ride on a metro bus is, if our people are sick, uneducated and unsafe, then we are going nowhere as a state.
Plateau; A State in Medical Distress
Walk into any primary healthcare centre in a rural community in Plateau State and you are likely to find a disturbing reality. Ranging from empty shelves, broken equipment, and overworked staff.
Many areas lack basic access to quality medical care, this brings about pregnant women to walk kilometres for antenatal check-ups.
In some tragic cases, some die from complications that could have been avoided with proper facilities.
Hospitals, likely, in urban areas are not much better. Constant reports of shortages of essential drugs, lack of beds and poor staff welfare show a system that is broken.
Is this the time to invest heavily in a transport project when people are dying from treatable illnesses?
The government should redirect those funds to upgrade health facilities, recruit.
They should train more health workers as well as invest in community based health initiatives.
A healthy population is the bedrock of a productive workforce.
The Silent Crisis Across Classrooms
Another pressing concern lies in the failing education system. Plateau State has one of the lowest literacy levels in the North Central region lasting for years, and this is not by accident.
Plateau Priorities: Why Buses Before Basics?
Our public schools struggle in many areas, where students sit on bare floors due to lack of chairs and desks. Teachers are either unpaid or underpaid and morale is at an all-time low.
To lay a brighter future for the Plateau, the government must invest in the children’s education.
That means building and renovating schools, equipping them with modern learning tools, improving teacher training, and ensuring fair salaries.
The current focus on metro buses may create temporary jobs or easier movement for workers, but without long term human capital development, it only builds castles in the air.
Security: An Ongoing Nightmare for Many Communities
Plateau State has been plagued by violence, insecurity and inter-communal conflict for years. Hundreds of lives have been lost and thousands displaced.
Villages have been razed and the trauma of violence continues to haunt families and communities.
The recent years have seen a dangerous escalation in attacks on rural areas, yet government response remains weak.
The funds being pumped into the Tin City Metro could be better spent on community policing, intelligence gathering and peace building initiatives.
Plateau Priorities: Why Buses Before Basics?
If people are afraid to travel between villages due to fear of attacks, then what good is a metro within the capital?
Security must come first. No investment will thrive in a place where people live in fear.
The Metro Project: A Misplaced Priority?
The Tin City Metro may be dressed up as a forward-thinking, progressive initiative. But we must ask: Who is it really for?
If the aim is to ease transport for civil servants, then the government should consider more cost-effective alternatives.
Such as improving existing road networks, supporting local transport operators, or subsidising fuel or transport fares for workers.
Instead, this project is poised to consume huge amounts of money, funds that could be life changing if directed to the right sectors.
In a state where rural hospitals lack electricity and schools still use chalkboards, investing in a modern transport system feels not just premature but irresponsible.
We should also question the sustainability of such a project. Who will maintain these buses? How will ticket revenue cover the operational costs? What is the environmental impact?
Plateau Priorities: Why Buses Before Basics?
And most importantly, what happens when the project becomes a white elephant due to lack of planning?
What Plateau State Truly Needs;
Investment in Primary Healthcare: Build new clinics, equip them and ensure that every citizen has access to life saving services.
Quality Education for All: Renovate schools, hire qualified teachers and ensure children in rural areas are not left behind.
Peace and Security: Strengthen local security frameworks and support communities in rebuilding their lives.
People First Development: Listen to the needs of the people before rolling out grand projects.
In a state where an average person cannot afford basic healthcare or quality education, spending billions on a metro system cannot be justified.
Conclusion
Development should be people centred, meaning, transport is part of the picture.
It should never come at the expense of health, safety and education. That they are not luxuries, they are basic human rights.
Plateau Priorities: Why Buses Before Basics?
Plateau State has limited resources and those resources must be allocated wisely and responsibly.
Now is the time for the government to rethink its priorities and focus on what truly matters.
Because at the end of the day, no metro ride is worth more than a human life, a child’s education, or a community’s safety.
