FCT community bemoans lack of basic amenities

Residents of Dadabiyi, a community said to be over 200 years old in Dobi Ward of Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have decried the absence of basic social amenities needed to improve their living conditions. Speaking during a visit by Abuja Metro on Saturday, residents expressed frustration over the lack of […]

Residents of Dadabiyi, a community said to be over 200 years old in Dobi Ward of Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have decried the absence of basic social amenities needed to improve their living conditions.

Speaking during a visit by Abuja Metro on Saturday, residents expressed frustration over the lack of potable water, healthcare facilities, good road networks and access to education.

They noted that while neighbouring communities have benefitted from government presence through the provision of such amenities, Dadabiyi has remained largely neglected, with only a block of Local Education Authority (LEA) primary school to its name.

An elder of the community, Mr. Dangana Baba, described the lack of government presence as the community’s most pressing challenge.

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He identified the absence of potable water as the most critical issue, noting that women and children often trek long distances to fetch water from ponds and streams.

“The only time our people get some relief is during the rainy season, when households harvest rainwater. Once the dry season sets in, women trek long distances to ponds and fadama areas in search of water,” he said.

Baba added that the only well in the community, dug over a century ago, has dried up despite repeated efforts by residents to rehabilitate it.

He also lamented the absence of a healthcare facility, stressing that pregnant women and other patients are forced to travel to neighbouring communities such as Dobi or even to General Hospital, Izom in neighbouring Niger State, often on poor roads.

Another resident, Mr. Habakkuk Moses Yakubu, highlighted the deplorable state of access roads as a major constraint, especially for farmers who constitute about 97 per cent of the population.

According to him, poor road conditions make it difficult to transport farm produce to markets in Dobi and Gwagwalada, forcing many farmers to divert to markets in Izom and Lambata in Niger State.

Yakubu also decried the absence of secondary schools in the community, noting that children either trek long distances or rely on motorcycles to attend schools in neighbouring Dobi.

“Our community is only remembered during elections. Politicians come with promises, but after elections, they disappear without fulfilling them,” he said.

He appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the community’s representative, Hon. Kasim Ikwa, to address the longstanding challenges facing the community.

The village head, Etsu Ibrahim Auta Jezhi, also expressed concern over the plight of residents, particularly the lack of potable water and healthcare services.

“Our people, especially pregnant women, are conveyed on motorcycles to General Hospital in Izom for antenatal care despite the bad roads. It is a serious challenge,” he said.

He added that residents often share water sources with livestock during the dry season due to the absence of boreholes.

“There is no single borehole in this community—not even a hand pump. The water our people drink is the same that animals use,” he lamented.

The traditional ruler called on the authorities to intervene and ensure the community benefits from the dividends of democracy.

Reacting, a senior official in the Gwagwalada council’s Works Department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the community has been captured in the budget for the drilling of a borehole.

“On water, I can confirm that Dadabiyi is among the communities included in the borehole drilling plan. Other concerns raised will be presented to the council authorities,” the official said.