Gwagwalada Communities Cries out for Help

By: Okeh Celestine, Abuja.

Gwagwalada Area Council is located in the heart of Gwagwalada township, one of the Cities in FCT under Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) that have about 37... communication masts, five flyover bridges, one at Zuba, Giri, SDP Junction and a pedestrian flyover at the park road exit, the 5th is under construction at boundary between Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Council; it is also a host to an Integrated Power project substation/step-down power plant at Dukpa village. 

Nigeria Army Barracks was also recently commissioned at the same Dukpa Village by the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika. There are several Police formations and other security agencies. All three arms of Government as can see are fully represented, there is a High Court, Supreme Court, Appeal Court, Magistrate Courts, Upper Area Courts and district courts of jurisdiction coupled with several other traditional Institutions.

Several other Government interest areas of critical infrastructural developments that are geared towards making life more bearable and convenient for the dwellers and settlers of the Area Council have been given considerate attention by the Federal Government over the years. There is a well funded Federal University teaching Hospital, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, and several other health care providers supported by the Federal Government to provide both Rural and urban Health care for all. All these provisions were made by the Federal Government with special consideration of the geographical location of Gwagwalada Area Council in Abuja and its inhabitants, the influx of people and consequent inherent settlers and squatters in the Area Council villages and settlements coming from different languages like the majority Gbagyis, minority Hausas and Fulanis, Ibo and Yorubas and several other tribes.

Over the time, office of the Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman has been seen as the birthright of the Gbagyis rotating from Dobi, Zuba and Giri zones of the LGA, depending on the Political affiliation and the leaning of the voters. So, these politicians know how to align themselves when it comes to electioneering and divide their electorates by their political sentiments and unforgivenes. 

Gwagwalada has never been lucky to have a chairman that have the fear of God and considerate with the yearnings and aspirations of his people in terms of provision of basic amenities expected of a responsible grass root government. This Council has failed over and over again when it comes to its primary duties and functions especially the present administration of Mr. Abu Giri which came in as a result of people’s will and clamor for change and development. 

It was understandable that there was a period this Area Council was an opposition government and suffers a lot of neglect by the recently defeated PDP government in terms of funding and federal infrastructural benefits, it is also not an excuse that this administration is also in court as challenged by the opposition PDP in the FCT election tribunal, in fact, these are more reasons why the Abu Giri administration is expected to meet the needs of the people. No new roads have been constructed in this council for years; all existing roads have suffered long term neglect, very deplorable drainages. 

Let’s take a brief tour of Gwagwalada Township coming from SDP, before Atlas junction is a flood line to your left and to your right at the same junction is a drainage connecting water flow from the Area Council side to the flood line first mentioned. This is a regular convoy route of the council Chairman anytime he decides to go to office and he has witnessed so many flood overtaking the road anytime there is heavy rain but he has refused to give due attention to it.

Several other areas like Park Road, Market Road, new Kutunku Road, Dukpa Road, Kaida Road, Jeremiah Oseni Farm Road and Pilot Science road. The most shameful of all these is the Pilot Science Road. It is a less than 4 kilometers Road linking the two major entrance and exit of Gwagwalada together and it is one of the worst of all roads. The chairman recently mobilized contractors to construct one lane drainage from Forth Elis hotel junction to Dr. Abalaka former hospital yet the project cannot be completed. It’s a shameful thing, any of the readers have any doubt, call any one you know within such areas mentioned to confirm our stand. 

Unpacked refuse dumps have also taken over all the major streets starting from front and back of Kotangora Estate, front of Gwagwalada Market, almost every part of phase 1,2,3 and4, this is a failed government and worst ever in the history of Gwagalada. Only God can protect the residents of all these areas from communicable air born diseases and any other allied environmental azards. 

It is a sin for street lights to work at nights in the whole of Gwagalada except recently on the flood bridge by Peace Park, you will see the street light poles standing there in the day time but it’s an utter darkness in the night. No traffic lights, road signs are scarce, plant a tree project was a scam, security are not well funded and encouraged, transformers are old and weak in spite of power supply by the substation in Dukpa, even the Area Council secretariat continues to runs on generators despite improved power supplies, all PHCN cables and lines uprooted from supplying the Council. Nothing seems to be working, no one seems to be in charge of anything, and it’s just another case of government in absentia.

Today, the will of the people have liberated Gwagwalada Area Council from opposition category and she now enjoy all privileges of a key party, it is also expected that the party and its leadership at the grassroots level as a matter of urgency start making plans to look into the problems cited above and timely amelioration of all the carnages will go a long way in resuscitating the hopes and aspirations of the electorates. Voters are now wiser than any political theories and it has been evidently displayed in 2015 general elections. 

National Lifwatch community report...