Lagos — The people and residents of Guri in Jigawa State have over the years been isolated and abandoned by past administrations. As a result, the able-bodied men and youths in the area had to migrate to other parts of the state. Poverty and famine took a devastating toll on the people. However, it appears that life is returning to the communities with renewed and genuine development effort by government. Taiwo Olawale writes

For as long as anyone can remember, a trip to Guri has always been a nightmare. From the junction off the Hadejia-Nguru road, the road is almost completely non existent. For this singular reason, the people of Guri are, more or less, cut off from the rest of the world. And the isolation has taken a deep toll on the lives of the people of Guri. For a long time therefore, almost everything in the town, from the almost completely dilapidated local government secretariat to the main market in the town, suggested neglect.

And, it is both nature and past governments that conspired to cause the isolation. First, typha-grass and quela birds made all season farming and fishing impossible thereby leading to mass exodus of the men of the town. Then, the fact that there was no road to the town made access almost impossible from outside. Past administrations in the local government did little or nothing to improve the standard of living of the citizens. And the isolation of the town hid this near criminal neglect for many years.

However, since early this year, hope seems to be returning gradually to the community. It started with the award of contracts by the Federal Government for the clearing of typha grass which had taken over the Hadejia Jama'are River Basin for many years. Though most residents remained skeptical that the ever-present grass could truly be cleared, by the beginning of this year's rainy season, the river basin gradually became visible as typha grass actually began to disappear. Now, months into a promising rainy season, many fishermen are doing their business in the river basin for the first time in many years.

In fact, for the first time in many years, disputes over fishing rights have abated. According to Mallam Abdullahi Bulama, the chairman of the local government, the clearing of typha grass is mainly responsible for the almost total lack of disputes in the area. He told THISDAY that in the past, the presence of the long grass made fishing difficult. "In addition to making farming difficult, the long grass often makes fishing difficult. So, the small areas unaffected are very precious and there were always clashes on fishing rights. But for the first time in many years, this year, such disputes have disappeared," he said.

The clearing of typha grass along the Hadejia Jama'are river basin is by no means a major event in the lives of the people. Though the clearing is not complete yet, there is hope that the remaining would be cleared after the rains. In spite of fears that some parts are not properly cleared, there is still hope in Guri that all season farming would be possible for, at least, the next two years with the present level of efforts put into the clearing. So, hope has returned for the Guri farmer as well as the fisherman.

To turn the town around however, a lot more has to be done. The responsibility of repositioning the town in the comity of towns in Jigawa State falls squarely on shoulders of the local government administration. There is a new spirit of rebuilding and repositioning going on in the local government that cannot be missed even by a first time visitor.

One of the most striking things in the town is the current rehabilitation of the main market. In spite of being the hub of commerce in the town, the main market, like almost every other thing in the town, had been abandoned over the years. The abandonment had taken its toll on the market and the economy of the area. By 2008, it had almost become completely non-existent. But hope is now returning to the market as well. An almost completely new market is now rising from the ashes of the old market. During a tour of the new market under construction, the Bulama told journalists that the market was being rebuilt at the cost of N4.8 million.

He explained that though the market consisted mainly of stalls and open shops, it plays a vital role in the economy of the town. "When the renovation is completed, we expect that it would make trading more comfortable and attract more traders from far and near as a result. Pepper and fish, the main commodities in the area often attract hundreds of buyers from across the state. With a bigger and better market, we hope to improve economic activities in these areas," he explained.

It is not only the market that is being rebuilt. Almost all public buildings in the town are also being renovated or rebuilt. The local government headquarters itself is undergoing renovation work which Bulama said would gulp about N64m. The General Hospital is not left out. Apart from renovation, the hospital is being re-equipped. This, the chairman explained, is in line with the council's determination to make life better for the people.

He noted however that the council is not relying on equipment and drugs to deliver healthcare to the people. He announced that the council has introduced a welfare package which provides free healthcare for indigent citizens at the bigger Hadejia General Hospital. This, he explained, costs the council about N300,000.00 monthly, saying the package allows indigent Guri citizens access to consultation and drugs.

Basic infrastructural facilities such as feeder roads, electricity and culverts are also being built at a fast pace, perhaps to reduce the hardship which the people have suffered over the years in a matter of months. Bulama explained that electrification of Warure at over N10 million is almost complete, while four culverts are being constructed at about N3.8m at different locations to make farmers' access to the market easier.

Perhaps the biggest area in which hope is returning to Guri is in the provision of potable water. There is so much emphasis on the provision of water to the communities in around the town that a drive around town is bound to show one or two ongoing water projects. This, Bulama explained, is because water is basic to any meaningful development.

He said, "water is central to human existence. That is why Governor Sule Lamido made it a major part of his plans to make Jigawa people healthy and disease free. So, we are concentrating on the provision of water as a major part of our community development programme. And, I can assure you that water would reach every community in this local government."

His assurance is part of the new hope shared by all in Guri. He listed some of the water projects to include three water supply schemes in Gandarwa, Takaza and Danzana at a combined cost of N27.1m; six new motorised boreholes and 20 hand pumps in 16 communities at about N10m among many others which are in the pipeline. To reduce maintenance headaches and costs, he explained that some of the boreholes are going to be solar-powered.

Mallam Ali Guri, a trader in the main market told THISDAY that the vigour and commitment shown so far in the efforts to make water available has raised the hope of the people that life is about to take a more meaningful turn for them. He said water has always been a source of concern in the town in spite of past efforts by previous administrations to provide potable water. He however noted that the present efforts have raised their hopes that their worries would soon be a thing of the past.

"Past administrations have made efforts to give us potable water in this town, but water has remained a problem. We are beginning to believe that we would soon forget about those problems with what we are seeing now. All the hand pumps that have been giving us problems have been fixed. Some of them were even re-dug. And, they are building new ones. We are surely hopeful that our water problems would soon be over", Ali said.

Ali's enthusiasm is shared by many who spoke to THISDAY in the town. Most of them believe the town has never had it so good in the recent past. They say their elected representatives at the federal and state level are actually working for them now. In particular, a few singled out the local government chairman for praise. They expressed hope that the present efforts would be sustained. And, as Hamisu, a local government employee suggested, if the efforts are sustained, "Guri would soon become a major player in Jigawa's physical, human and economic development."

In spite of the hope though, one very crucial thing still needs to be done for Guri to fully come out of isolation and become a major player in anything whatsoever. The 40 kilometre road from Nguru junction to the town still needs to be reconstructed. Though a N500 million budget provision was made for the road in the 2008 appropriation act and a contract has been awarded accordingly, the contractors are yet to mobilise. Absence of a good access road means the town may remain in isolation longer than this year.

Of course, Guri remains one of the biggest sanctuaries for quela birds. So, the battle against the destructive birds by the federal and state governments must continue if the gains of the farmers in the area are to be sustained. But on the whole, the people of Guri are presently having one of their best moments. There are strong hopes that things would continue to get better. If the present efforts are sustained, those hopes may eventually prove to be well placed.