Our children pass through hell to access secondary education — Abuja community
Residents of Kuchibuyi community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have alleged negligence by both the FCTA Administration and the Bwari Area Council governments to their plights. The residents are lamenting, among others, the absence of basic amenities in their community. The only government presence is a block of classrooms at […]
ili Junior Secondary School operating within a primary school facility, highlighting the infrastructural challenges facing the community’s education system
Residents of Kuchibuyi community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have alleged negligence by both the FCTA Administration and the Bwari Area Council governments to their plights.
The residents are lamenting, among others, the absence of basic amenities in their community.
The only government presence is a block of classrooms at a primary school inherited from Niger State.
Abuja Metro learnt that Kuchibuyi was established in 1972 when the area was still under Suleja emirate in the old Niger State.
Located on the outskirts of Kubwa town, along the old Bwari road, Kuchibuyi is predominantly occupied by the Gbagyi, and it is under Byazhin ward in the council.
The district head of the community, Malam Isiaka Dauda, who spoke to this reporter, said another classroom block at the school had no furniture; not even chairs, while the third one had been locked for over six years when its roof blew off.
The chief said that after graduating from the primary school, their children have to trek to far away communities like Kubwa town, Byazhin, Guto and Bwari town to attend junior secondary schools.
He decried the stress their children pass through to access secondary education, saying they “go through hell trekking to and from those communities in the search for secondary education.’’
“Some of them that used to pay transport before can no longer afford that now as a result of high increase in the cost of transportation,” he said.
He called on the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, to site a junior secondary school in the community, to address the difficulties being faced by the children in the community, adding that other communities within the axis would also benefit.
The supervisory councillor for education in the Bwari Area Council, Yunusa Isa Hamza, who hails from the community, described the lack of access road as the biggest problem to the area.
He said, “With a road, our people can go to places like Kubwa or even Bwari town for their daily needs and return easily.’’
On the history of the area, he said their forefathers stayed on the hills for decades due to the nature of attacks by enemies in those days.
He said according to history, it was sometime in the 40s that they decided to descend and settle on the land. “There was no big community around, like ours at the time.”
“Kubwa town, which takes over every development now, used to be under this community. It was the express road construction that ushered development to the town,’’ he added.
The leader disclosed that a bridge constructed in recent years by a church in the area made their movement a little easier, compared to the past years.
“In those days, we had to wait for the water in the river to recede before we could cross to areas like Kubwa where we usually get most of our basic needs.”
While commending the chairman of Bwari Area Council, Dr John Gabaya, for facilitating a clinic project being constructed by a non-governmental organisation, the councillor called on the FCT minister to include the area in his roads project initiative.
“I would like to seize this opportunity to make a request to our minister to link our community with Kubwa and Bwari town with tarred roads, which would open up a number of villages,” he urged.