The Sorry State Of Kadarko Chiefdom In Wase LGA Of Plateau, As It Lacks Almost Every Basic Amenities, Residents Lament(See Photos Inside)

Yakubu Busari

Wase Local Government Council of Plateau State has suffered a political and economic setback of underdevelopment, as the people have resorted to communal efforts in contributing money to be used in drilling two Boreholes and building community schools for the community.

It was gathered that the Government has failed to provide succor to them even when they have been putting forward their requests to the government without any response.

JIGAWAN AUDU

It’s a settlement in Kumbur Ward of Kadarko District, Wase LGA, Plateau State.  It’s not more than four (4) Kilometers from Wase town.

The community is located along Langtang North LGA  road from Wase, just immediately after Kumbur, is Jigawan  Audu.

The only projects in the community, apart from the Wase-Langtang Road, are the LEA Primary School and a Hand-pump borehole that was neglected and abandoned without sources of drinking water .

Our medium gathered that the name of the community appeared in the 2021 Federal Government Projects for Construction of Takalafiya; Jigawan Audu by so; & other selected rural roads in Plateau State (ongoing).

Frankly, the community is at bay to this project, if at all, is executed; it may be somewhere not the real Jigawan  Audu. However, due to the human workforce of the people of the community, they never sit back and allow the community to vanish.

The only road project that was executed halfway by FERMA is that of JIGAWAN AUDU-Guiwan KOGI, while JIGAWAN AUDU has only seen surface dressing, not asphalt. Only Yaudara-Duwi have seen the asphalt. Kumbwong has not seen the asphalt too, and the work has stopped for months now.

Summarily, Takalafiya, JIGAWAN AUDU and Yal have not seen anything concerning this road project.

WADATA

It’s a community located in the South-Eastern part of Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

It’s a two (2) hour drive from Wase Local Government Area Headquarters. The community is endowed with a human population of over 5000, versed, and fertile land for agriculture.

WADATA is the most farming community in Wase this no doubt as it is attracting business men and women from Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja for the purchase of farm produce like yam, Maize, rice, etc. Especially on the market days are usually from Monday to Wednesday.

Even though, with this much impact the community is contributing to Nigeria’s food security and economy, they are sidelined in terms of benefiting from the Government projects and Interventions.

However, this community does not benefit from any government social amenities. The only source of portal drinking water and for domestic purposes is the only local earth dam dredged by the community just early this year that cost them a whopping sum of three million Naira (3,000,000).

The community doesn’t have government constructed Primary Health Care Centre, no road and in their Primary School, some students receive their lessons under trees; the classes are not sufficient to accommodate the whole students.

In the dry season, they always got DADIN KOWA of LANGTANG SOUTH Local Government Area of Plateau State with their pickups or motorcycle to fetch water. A 25 liters Jerry can of water is sold at the rate of N100 in Wadata.

This lack of Portable drinking water is causing very serious illnesses, especially typhoid and malaria.

Worst of all  the community doesn’t have PHC center, instead they are using two rooms of a residential building in the community to treat patients. Of the two rooms, one is set aside for woman-in-labor and is poorly equipped with a single bed and a mat is spread over.

Even of the higher quantity of crops the community is producing year-in-year-out, they are lacking good road that will ease transportation.

The surface-dressed road linking the community to Kadarko and Wase is a death trap due to its bad nature. No fewer than 10 cases of road accidents are recorded on the road in every market day.

SUKU

Suku community is the  oldest community in Kadarko District of Wase LGA with human population of over 5000 and the people of the community majorly focused on wet season farming. The land is rich in agriculture and the community is hugely contributing to food security in Wase and the Nation at Large. Although, it’s left far behind in terms of basic amenities.

In Takalafiya of Lamba District, it’s believed that the government is doing its best in providing to the community, but is allegedly hijacked by some in the position of authority, especially the 2 bridges projects and the condition of the LEA Primary School in the community.

The community is situated at the coast of Wase river, thus, the land is rich in agriculture, yet it lacked accessible roads that will link it to other neighborhoods for transporting farm produces and this makes commercial activities to be mostly on a halt especially in the rainy season.

LEA PRIMARY SCHOOL, TAKALAFIYA

INTERVIEWER: “What are the most serious challenges bedeviling your school?”

STUDENT: “We want government to assist in total renovation of our school structures as we and our teachers are suffering from sunlight and we can’t  hold classes if it’s raining.”

INTERVIEWER: “Do you cancel classes and go back home when it’s raining or what do you do?”

STUDENT: “We move to those two classes.”

INTERVIEWER: “Does the two classes accommodate the whole students or you still have problem?”

STUDENT: “We have little problem.”

INTERVIEWER: “Little problem or there’s much problem?”

STUDENT: “Much problem.”

INTERVIEWER: “Is that why you want the government to assist your school?”

STUDENT: “Yes!”

INTERVIEWER: “With me is a father of one of the students of the school. He has something to say.”

FATHER: “In our present situation, we don’t have school in Takalafiya. The roofing of the school is blown off. Students don’t come to school if it’s raining. The students don’t have where to sit in their classes.’

INTERVIEWER: “Then, do you want government to assist your school?”

FATHER: “Rich people should assist us.”

INTERVIEWER: “Do you have portable drinking water in Takalafiya?”

FATHER: “No! We don’t have portable drinking water and we are suffering”

INTERVIEWER: “Do have good?”

FATHER: “No!”

INTERVIEWER: “The bridge that was approved to be constructed in Takalafiya, is it done?”

FATHER: “No!”

INTERVIEWER: “The road that was approved to be constructed from Saluwe to Gyambar, is the work started?”

FATHER: “No!”

PHC SUKU

INTERVIEWER: “What are the challenges you’re facing at PHC SUKU?”

WAZIRIN SUKU: “The PHC built by the Local Government has no toilet and bathroom, no beds, no medicine. In short, nothing is provided for the PHC to function. Even the mat and table that is in the PHC belonged to the Chief (i.e. Sarki). Drugs and other medications that are used to be administered to patients were always purchased by the staff of the PHC. The government did not provide anything.”

INTERVIEWER: “Owing to the challenges you are facing, have you ever presented your problems to the government?”

WAZIRIN SUKU: “Yes! On several occasions, we presented our request to the LGA Chairman, but all our efforts are of no avail.”

CHIEF: “Government is doing nothing to the betterment of our community.

We don’t have water. Before, we move to as far as 22 kilometers from SUKU to Wase to fetch water. It was until in recent years that my people contributed some monies and dug two Boreholes. In terms of education, government did not do anything about it. It was my people that took communal labour and built all the classes in our school.

Apart from this PHC, there is nothing to show from the government in SUKU.”

PHC STAFF: “The staff of PHC also confirmed the situation.”

YOUTH LEADER: “The Youth Leader of the community also attested to the submissions.”