Nasarawa Akuni Amawa Community Wants Bridge Fixed To Aid Movement

Akuni Amawa community of Ashige district under Lafia East Development Area in Nasarawa State is asking the government to fix a bridge linking them with neighbouring villages in order to carry out their business activities.

They sought the assistance when Channels Television correspondent Halima Gayam visited the area to ascertain their plights.

Though blessed with vast and fertile land which has made its people engage largely in the farming of yam, rice, maize, millet, sesame seeds and soya beans in large quantities, the community lack good link with other communities to aid movement of their farm produce.

Their only bridge is near collapse and it is impassable during the rainy season.

When Channels Television visited the community, it became glaring that it was not just the bridge that the community needed. Electricity and hospital, some of the basic amenities needed, are absent in the community which has been in existence for over 50 years.

The only learning facility built by the government was burnt down two years after construction during a communal clash in 2014 according to John Ishaya, a resident of the community.

“The school is a new structure built by the government in 2012 and was burnt down in 2014, so it is only two years that we enjoyed the school,” he said.

The community, which takes education as a priority, has built three blocks which are no way better with relief materials given to them by the government.

“Zincs and cement were given to us when we returned back to our community after the clash to rebuild our homes and we all agreed to use it to build blocks of classroom as education of our children is a priority. We agreed that we cannot share all the things to ourselves so we decided to starve ourselves so that our children can learn,” he stated.

Now they are appealing to the government to come to their aid before the rains sets in to put their bridge into a desired shape, build a hospital and to reconstruct their school.

“We are now appealing to the state government that they should come to our aid because the blocks we have built will not be enough, it is only three classes and we have many children in the community so it cannot contain all of them.

“The government should please come and raise the structure that has been burnt”

“We are appealing to the governor to support us so that our school will be more equipped,” he added.

Major Area Of Consideration

For the community school’s Head Mister, Ishaya Ande, who spoke in Hausa, they have nowhere to go to for assistance but to the governor.

“Our main challenge is the bridge. We face a lot of untold hardship during the rainy season. We cannot move out. We do not have a hospital too and we suffer a lot when we fall sick.

“We do not have anybody to help us except the government. So, we are crying to them to help us. We the people of Amawa,” he said.

Giving the government’s position on the issues, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Mr Aliyu Tijjani Ahmed, said that the government was aware of these challenges and promised that provision of basic amenities in rural communities would be given top priority in the new year.

“Part of the plan of the government in 2017 is the provision of adequate road facilities particularly in the area of construction of bridges, drainage and culverts in all the villages across the state.

“Remember that in raining season last year, most of the roads in the rural areas were dilapidated as a result of running water and most of the bridges which should have been used by farmers to transport their produce to surrounding villages are no longer there.

“So the governor wants to focus his attention towards reconstruction of these bridges and culverts across the state.

“This is the major area of consideration in the new year,” he told Channels Television.

The hope of the community is on the government and they are expecting an assistance before their situation gets worse.