Day Jigawa rural dwellers re-gained their voice

A recent visit to some villages across some local governments of Jigawa State indicated that rural dwellers are facing difficulties that are directly affecting their lives. Recently, Pyramid Trust visited Sakuwa, Gudduba, Tsagwarwa, and Sakai villages. In Sakuwa village, Pyramid Trust observed that even though the immediate past administration of Governor Ibrahim Saminu Turaki has […]

A recent visit to some villages across some local governments of Jigawa State indicated that rural dwellers are facing difficulties that are directly affecting their lives. Recently, Pyramid Trust visited Sakuwa, Gudduba, Tsagwarwa, and Sakai villages.

In Sakuwa village, Pyramid Trust observed that even though the immediate past administration of Governor Ibrahim Saminu Turaki has awarded a contract for the construction of Kila-Sakuwa road to BEEFAR Construction Company, the project was abandoned halfway since 1999.

According to the Chairman, Sakuwa Progressive Committee (SPC), Alhaji Idi Adamu, the village was left without good road for almost 12 years now. He told Pyramid Trust that, despite their several complaints to the local government authorited, nothing has been done to salvage the community.

Alhaji Idi Adamu further told our correspondent that whenever it rained, the community had to stay indoors for six hours to allow water to pass before they could have access to Kila town from Sakuwa. He said, “I can recall that last year nine people lost their lives in a canoe mishap while trying to cross a heavy flood in the village.”

The major problems being faced by Gudduba community in Buji Local Government Area include the lack of healthcare facility, road and potable drinking water. One of the residents, Malam Muhammadu Hafizu told Jigawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Widi Jalo, that he lost his niece, Malama Rahina Shitu, 16, due to prolonged labour.

Narrating his ordeal to the commissioner, Hafizu explained that, “the late Rahina lost her life owing to lack of vehicle to convey her to hospital on time. We first conveyed her to Kukuma healthcare centre by cart, but on arrival, we were transferred to Birnin-Kudu Federal Medical Centre, but she died while on our way to the FMC.”

Also speaking to Pyramid Trust, the ward head of the village, Malam Isma’ila Ibrahim said, the village has only one borehole, which, according to him, was insignificant to provide enough drinking water to the people. He explained that, the community was taking their sick persons to Birnin-Kudu hospital via commercial vehicles, adding that the community had been witnessing high rate of maternal mortality cases.

For Tsangwarwa community, also in Gwaram Local Government, the task being faced by the community is the lack of healthcare facility. Pyramid Trust observed that the only healthcare facility in the village was still under construction, hence, the community is left with no other alternative than to take their patients to other hospitals in the neighbouring local governments of Birnin-Kudu.

Like Gudduba village, Sakai community of Birnin-Kudu Local Government Area is being affected by the lack of hospital, water is and good roads. The community is left with no other option than to take their patients to Badingu healthcare facility whenever the need arises.

Another task before the villagers, said one of the residents, Malam Ibrahim Isa, was persistent flood, which, according to him, was preventing the residents from having access to Badingu healthcare centre, especially during rainy season.

“We have to use carts to convey pregnant women to the main road and then get commercial vehicles that will take them to the hospital. It always takes them four hours to reach the main road. Pregnant women are suffering whenever they are to be conveyed to the main road,” he noted.

Although the village was established 36 years ago, according to Malam Ibrahim,  the community is still suffering from the social problems which were supposed to have addressed by governments years back, saying , “We have channelled our complaints to both state and local governments, yet we have not seen any change in our lives.”

However, speaking to Pyramid Trust shortly after conducting a tour to the three senatorial zones of Dutse, Kazaure and Hadejia, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Widi Jallo said, the tour was organised to enable villagers channel their problems to government for further actions.

Hajiya Fatima explained that, “Although my ministry is women affairs, any problem identified during the visit would be forwarded to the appropriate ministries. Those for the rehabilitation and or construction of roads will be forwarded to the state ministry of works,” those related to water supply will be conveyed to ministry of water resources and those related to agriculture or health will be passed to the agriculture and health ministry respectively.”

She added that the on-the-spot check tour was aimed at knowing the major problems affecting rural dwellers in the state with a view to addressing them one after the other, saying, “Last year, we identified various problems in the hard-to-reach areas of some selected local governments and the majority of the problems were solved.”

The commissioner further stated that after realising the impacts of the programme on the lives of rural dwellers, the state government decided to involve all the 27 local governments in the second phase of the programme.

She said government had already released a total of N26 million in respect of the programme. Four people were selected from each of the selected villages of the 27 local governments and were trained on how to sensitize rural communities on the signs of pregnancy complications. After receiving training, they were sent back to their localities where they also trained 21 people in each village.

Hajiya Fatima said that so far a total of 264 people were trained by the ministry and they were sensitizing various communities across the 27 local governments of the state. She noted that a total of 872 communities were benefiting from the programme in the state.