By Abubakar Muhammadu, Bauchi
Mangoroji and Zannuwan Tirwun are two neighbouring communities that share boundaries and challenges of lack of social amenities such as road, culverts, school, primary healthcare centers, among others, in their areas.
Concerned by their plight, especially the lack of good road network in the areas, community members were prompted to organise a communal effort of establishing a local access road that would link them with Makarahuta – Government Comprehensive Day Secondary School (GCDSS) of Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate, being the easiest route to their places of work and businesses.
Our reporter observed that even the better road which links the community to Yakubun Bauchi Quarters (behind Nitel) is seriously ruined, especially in the raining season when community members find it difficult to cross a small stream which separate the two areas.
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Despite the effort put in place by the community members to attract government’s attention to the area, it is almost a year now, but their plight has remained unadressed, subjecting them to untold Sufferings especially during raining period.
Narrating the communities’ ordeals, the community head of Mangoroji Warinje, Baba Abdullahi who spoke extensively on behalf of the two neigbours, especially concerning the road, said part of their efforts to help themselves, they time to time contribute financially and physically to organise Community service among their members to clear and maintain the road, but their efforts have not been sustainable due mainly to the economic situation of the people who are predominantly lower class fellows.
He noted that “In every rainy season our homes are negatively affected by the flood, prompting us now to only focus on how we can prevent our houses from flooding.” He recalled that “less than a year ago, my counterparts of Zannuwan Tirwun, Alh. Saleh and I organised community work for three weeks in which, out of our efforts we were able to provide a local road that even cars can pass through, linking us with Zannuwan Tirwun, through the GCDSS at Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate, where we invited NTA Bauchi for coverage so that the government will get to know about our plight, but up to now nothing has changed,” Baba Abdullahi Mentioned.
Some of the residents of the areas who participated in the community service, who sought anonymity, cried out saying, “We are lagging in terms of social amenities, especially lack of access roads and healthcare centers, which subject us to untold hardship, especially when it comes to conveying our pregnant wives to the hospital; therefore, we are calling on the government for an accelerated intervention,” they requested.
The community leader emphasized the need for the government and relevant bodies to construct drainage in the area, noting the residents’ untold suffering, especially in the rainy season. “This stream you see in our mid-area whenever rain falls one cannot cross it on bike talk less of crossing it on foot, and we even get it difficult to get commercial motorcycle rider that would bring us back home when outside our area.”
He further revealed, “I could remember, three years ago there was a nursing mother who was trying to cross the stream immediately after the rainfall and unfortunately she was carried away by the water though she was rescued alive, but she and the baby have negatively suffered the aftermath of the incident” He revealed.
The duo communities of Mangoroji and Zannuwan Tirwun have existed for over 50 years now, yet are battling with a lot of problems especially in terms of infrastructural development, ranging from lack of culverts, epileptic power supply, poor access road, lack of conducive environment for teaching and learning for their children after their only primary school was damaged by a windstorm during the administration of the immediate former Governor Muhanmad Abubakar.
According to Baba Abdullahi the Community head of Mangoroji “We reported severally to authorities concerned, including Local Government Education Authority (LEA) as well as the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), yet nothing has changed”
It is hoped that government at all levels as well as other development partners would come to the aid of these communities of Mangoroji Warinje and Zannuwan Tirwun by providing them with all the necessary Infrastructural developments to address their lingering challenges.
