Residents of Gbatemi, Jamigbe, Gasakpa I, and Gasakpa II--farming communities in Gawu ward of Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)--have appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene in the rehabilitation of rural roads in the area.
Peasant farmers from the area, who spoke with Abuja Metro during a visit on Thursday, lamented that the dilapidated road network linking them to neighboring Gawu village has remained their biggest challenge for years.
They noted that the poor conditions make it nearly impossible to transport harvests to markets in Gawu or Lambata, a town in Niger State bordering the FCT.
Seasonal struggles
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Yakubu Ibrahim, a local farmer, explained that the situation worsens during the rainy season. He noted that several streams become impassable, effectively cutting the communities off from the rest of the Territory.
"Farmers lose their crops because there is no good road to move them. We are asking the FCT Administration to rehabilitate these roads so that rural residents can also feel the impact of government infrastructure," Ibrahim said.
He added, "We are aware of the good work Minister Wike is doing in the city center and some rural parts of the area councils. We are appealing to him to extend that work to us, as roads are the primary challenge facing rural people."
The village head of Gasakpa I, HRH Abdullahi Dangama, echoed these sentiments, noting that while the locals are hardworking farmers, they are stifled by a lack of market access.
He revealed that every dry season, he mobilizes local youths to manually repair the worst portions of the road.
"On your way here, you likely saw young men at one of the streams fixing the road so that vehicles can come in to convey produce--especially yams, which is our major crop," the traditional leader said.
The village head criticized successive area council administrations for abandoning rural roads, particularly those bordering Niger State. "To be honest, we do not feel the impact of government here. You saw it for yourself on the road to Gasakpa--there is no sign of government presence. None," he stated.
Beyond the infrastructure crisis, HRH Dangama raised concerns regarding the LEA Primary School in the community.
He noted that while the school has adequate furniture, it suffers from a severe shortage of teachers for its 134 pupils and requires urgent building renovations to ensure a proper learning environment.
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An official from the Works Department of the Council, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the road project is beyond the council's financial capacity.
He, however, said that the council chairman has already submitted a formal demand for the project to the relevant FCT agencies.
