Attention, Governor Badaru
In rainy season in Dutse, it is possible for one to leave his house in the morning, and find it difficult to find your way back home. The freeway one passes through in the morning can become an ‘Olympic sized swimming pool’ in the evening. This is a very possible scenario especially, for residence of Yalwawa or Takur Addu’a in Dutse metropolis. I recalled paying for an accommodation in Yalwawa some three years back during the rainy season. I was out of town for some three weeks and by the time I returned, the house was submerged in a pool of water. As such I had to abandon the house, for obvious reasons. The Dutse landscape is such that require a comprehensive water management system to prevent the area from becoming an ecological disaster.
The Dutse metropolis does not present a good sight in seasons of rain. Major roads and structures are at the mercies of the rain. A drive through the Sani Abacha Way which inhabits government offices and businesses are over flown with water. The affected institutions include the Dutse Local Government Secretariat, the Nigerian Television Authority and the Department of State services among others.
On the Ibrahim Aliyu By-Pass, the major casualties are the Federal University Dutse and the Local Government Housing Estate. The Federal University Dutse is a sorry sight anytime it rains. Even with the on-going construction of the By-Pass, provisions have not been made for drainage to ameliorate the incidence of flooding in the area. The government needs to expedite action on the construction of the By-Pass, as the project is taken too long to be completed. And on the ASZ Maimalari Way, even the Government House is not spared of this menace. As after heavy rain, the fence around the Government is usually flooded with stagnant waters.
The case of the Yalwawa and Takur Addu’a quarters is a very special and worrisome case. I make bold to state that, there is NO SINGLE PAVED ROAD within these communities. Majority of the inhabitants are civil servant and business men, who occupy their personal houses. It is also one of the most ‘densely populated’ settlements, as they provide accommodation for civil servants, students and corps members. The absence of infrastructure in these quarters is a grave injustice. During these seasons, some parts are even cut off due to the erosion of land areas by water. The flood and its attendant actions are recipe for the breakout of epidemics, unless something is done about it.
As law-abiding citizens who also pay their dues to the state, I call on the governor, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Badaru to look into our plight. The investment of the inhabitants is at the risk of ecological danger. The responsible agencies of government must ensure strict adherence to physical planning and building codes to promote a healthy environment. There is a need for the government to finance the construction of drainages in these areas to address the flood problem. Addressing this menace can impact positively on other government policies like health, environment, sanitation, education and social services.
A quality and comprehensive water management system will promote a healthy environment and reduce spending for health. There is the need for the government to coordinate its public policy formulation and implementation such that, addressing one challenge will impact positively on others. And provide funds for the financing of other vital needs of the citizens through efficient and effective utilization of limited resources.
I call on the governor save-our-souls, from the danger of flood and ecological danger in Yalwawa, Takur Addu’a and Dutse metropolis. Mohammed Naseer Ibraheem, Dutse Jigawa state.