Lagos — Bura is a community in Bauchi State that has been abandoned over the years by previous governments despite their potential to contribute to national development. There are many other communities like Bura across the country that are being ravaged by poverty. However, Seriki Adinoyi writes that there is a ray of hope for Bura natives as the state government is committed to unlock its treasures

Bura, a community in Ningi local government area of Bauchi State is a treasure that has been undermined for too long. Rich in agricultural potential and predominated by farmers, the community has not only been a source of food to the entire people of the state, but also to the nation in general. It has also served an economic empowerment to the people of the state as some of the farm produce, especially grains, from this community are sold out to traders from other states.

But since in the 60's, this rich community has been abandoned in its treasure; no access road, no government support, especially with improved technologies of farming like irrigation facilities for improved yield, no basic amenities near the people of the area, at least to meet their immediate health needs and other challenges.

And because of inaccessible roads, large farm produce from this community most of which should have been transported with lorries get spoilt and wasted. Traders from the neighbouring Kano State, who mostly buy these grains travel through a far and also dilapidated link from their state to get the goods. And most of the times, their vehicles break down and had to sleep over night in the bush. In the process are often times attacked by robbers. A journey that shouldn't have taken them longer than a couple of hours became a nightmare.

For a land so rich in agriculture, one had expected that either the federal or the state government would have long harnessed its rich potentials to better the lives, especially with the rising trend of global food insecurity. Though there are no primary healthcare centres, with access road the sick could easily be taken to hospitals in Ningi and other near-by towns. The people on their part had yearned severally that each passing administration in the state and had hoped that one day they would be remembered, but all to no avail. There was a limit to what they could do on their own, especially with challenges of access road. The best they had got from the previous governments were promises that were never fulfilled.

Only recently, the hope of the people was rekindled by Governor Isa Yuguda. The government has gone far on the construction of the 113 kilometre road that will open up the Ningi community to the civilised world. Showing the extent of the work to some newsmen that visited the site, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Communication, Mallam Yakubu Lamai said "the road when completed, would not only serve to convey farm produce to the market, but would enable big buyers from neighbouring states travel down to the community for a better and more efficient business transactions".

He added that the state government has made 60 per cent payment to the contractors who are working round the clock to ensure that the work is completed in no distant time. "With the onset of the dry season the work would be faster and shall be completed very soon," he assured.

The Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Mallam Maigari also said water projects shall be extended to the community, like many other rural communities in the state. "This is not only to enable them get clean water to drink, which is essential for their good health, but also to enhance their irrigation farming, knowing that Bauchi State does not have a long rainy season for farming." He said Yuguda's Administration is determined to alleviate the sufferings of the rural populace, who in hope for a change cast their votes for him during the elections.

Earlier in his address, the state commissioner for Agric and Natural Resources, Mall Yakubu Abdullahi Yakubu said a large annual grazing reserve have been constructed to forestall persistent crises between the Fulani cattlemen and farmers in the area and some other areas in the state.

"In the past, the farmers had complained bitterly that their crops have been eaten up by cattles, but with the grazing reserve the Fulanis can sufficiently take good care of their cattles without having to graze on the farms," he added.

Blaming the past neglect of Bura and other rural areas on the incompetent hands that managed the Bauchi State Agriculture Development Project (BSADP) during the previous administrations, Yakubu said "Governor Yuguda' Administration is not only set to ensure equal distribution of fertilizers to the entire farmers in the state, including the poor Bura farmers, but in addition, would train 5000 farmers in Sasakawa Global-2000 Japanese method of farming for an improved productivity". He said 2000 youths would also be trained on the use of herbicides.

These youths, according to Yakubu would be given herbicides machine at 25 per cent subsidy and contracted to farmers who may require their services. "By this, the idle youths would be empowered, even as the farmers are equally helped for an improved yield". He said the state has partnered with Agency for Youth and Women Development (AYWD) to provide over 30,000 jobs for the youth that are not in school. "By this crime have been curtailed and problems of insecurity in which idle youth harassed citizens of the state is addressed."

Another method Bauchi State government is using to assist farmers and check food insecurity is the Strategic Preserve Method (SPM). It's a technology of preserving grains in times of abundance such that during scarcity of such grains, the government can sell to citizens at a subsidised rate to check excessive inflation.

Decadence in the education sector, especially in the rural areas is another area that has given much concern to Bauchi State Government. Yuguda had during his swearing-in as the governor of the state at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi, noted that he was aware that Bauchi is one of the most backward states in education, especially in the rural areas. He therefore assured the people that he had come to resuscitate the sector despite the poor financial status of the state. He added that any state that does not place emphasis on the education of its younger generation stands the risk of endangering its future.

On assumption of office, the governor though had lamented the N22 billion debt he inherited, and another N5 billion capital-project bond entered into by the previous administration, which was also due for payment, he immediately constituted a committee consisting of seasoned educationists and headed by Alhaji Alhassan Sadiq to asses the condition of the schools in the state, especially those that have been abandoned in the rural areas, and make recommendations. This possibly has paid off, as some of the schools have received prompt attention. In fact, some of them had to be vacated for total overhauling.

The devastating report brought back by the committee stunned everyone. Sadiq said it was pathetic to see pupils sit on stones and logs of wood under tree shades to receive their teachings in this modern world. The schools were not only faced with the problems of inadequate classrooms, but even the existing ones were over-crowded and with cracked walls. The schools lacked qualified teachers and learning materials, not to talk of science laboratory equipment.

Apparently disturbed by the deteriorated state of the education, the Governor said he has offered himself to teach in one of the many schools where there are shortages of staff. Lamenting the under-funding of the education sector in the state that led to such a total decay, Yuguda said to curb the menace in this sector; he has also engaged the services of about 200 civil servants who have volunteered to teach for two hours per day.

"I will negotiate with teachers that teach the same subject with me such that when I have serious official engagement they can take my lectures". He said he has further engaged some retired teachers on contract basis.

Describing the science laboratories in the schools as extinct, Yuguda said his predecessors failed to set up Science Education Technical Board (SETB) that was expected to be funded by grants from the Federal Government to better the lots of the schools.