Revamping LG administration in Nigeria

Local government areas are supposed to be the engines of national development. A quiet rural community grows into a bustling city, and this is made possible by the local leader. In developed societies, when people are tired of living in the cities they relocate to rural communities where life is less strenuous. However, the opposite […]

Local government areas are supposed to be the engines of national development. A quiet rural community grows into a bustling city, and this is made possible by the local leader. In developed societies, when people are tired of living in the cities they relocate to rural communities where life is less strenuous. However, the opposite is the case in Nigeria; living in a rural community is difficult, because nothing works, as it should. Living in a grassroots is like dwelling in hell. Yes. I am saying this because I am a product of one. My village is just on the outskirt of Keffi on the Abuja-Keffi expressway. Unlike some communities across the country, Sabon Gari has the advantage of location. The federal government deemed it necessary to construct an interstate link road through our village; so we experience vehicular movement throughout the day and night. However, getting to adjoining villages that are not on the expressway is always a nightmare due to lack of motorable link road. Products from our farms can hardly get to traditional markets in adjoining communities.

Apart from the problem of access roads, there are no access to hospitals, portable drinking water, quality education and above all, electricity among others. Successive administration in Nasarawa State and Keffi local government remember us only during the electioneering campaign when our votes are solicited but immediately they assumed powers we never get to see them again. It is surprising therefore that what looked like a normal campaign convoy drove into our community just recently.  The convoy happened to be that of our council chairman, Engr. Idris Mohammed Idris. The chairman and his entourage were conducted round the community by the village head. We were made to understand later that the council intends to step down electricity through the national grid. We received the news with mixed feelings. We have been inundated with such promises in the past by successive administrations at the council but none of them came into fruition.

However, few weeks after the chairman’s surprise visit, trucks loaded with electrical materials including transformers made their way into the community. Few days later the materials were installed and we were linked to the national grid. The council has also embarked on the renovation and rehabilitation of all existing schools in addition to purchasing instructional materials for learning among others.

While we appreciate his gesture at Sabon Gari, we are appealing to the chairman that he crowns his efforts with the construction of roads that would link us with some neighbouring communities. It will also not be asking too much as we suffered a lot of neglect in the past, that he sees the need to provide us with boreholes to ease the suffering occasioned by lack of potable water.

We urge him not to relent in his ongoing efforts to transform the council through projects that have direct bearing on the people because he has posed a challenge to political office-holders not only in the council but the state at large.

 Abubakar writes from Sabon Gari, Keffi Local Government, Nasarawa state