Gwaram community seeks Bauchi Govt’s intervention over erosion, flood threat

By Mohammed Kaka Misau

As incidents of flood disaster continue to render hundreds of households homeless in Bauchi, some community members in Gwaram Ward of Misau local government area of the state has appealed to Governor Bala Mohammed of the state to as a matter of urgency, address the issues of erosion and other environmental challenges affecting them.

Speaking to our Corresspondent, a youth leader in Gwaram district of Misau local government area of the state, Samaila Hammah said as this year’s rainy season enters its peak, Gwaram community is facing serious threat of flooding occasioned by erosion.

The Youth leader who is popularly known as Dandalin Gwaram said as this year’s rainy season takes its toll, many houses and properties have been destroyed in Gwaram and other communities across the state.

“My message to the Bauchi state government under His Excellency Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, Kauran Bauchi is to appeal to him to help us out from the problem we have found ourselves this rainy season”, he said.

“We have been tested by God with flood that has affected the entire Gwaram community. One disturbing thing with the flood is that it affected mostly Gwaram town and not outside the the town such that some houses were badly affected”, Hammah added.

The Youth leader who said as a community, they have made a lot of effort to address the challenges but proved abortive, pleaded with the government for quick response.

“We are pleading with the government as law-abiding citizens to help us. We have done our best to prevent erosion by putting sand-filled bags to block some spots washed out by erosion but there are some places that is above our capacity and that is why we are calling on the Governor to please help us”, he said.

According to him, “we have seen what he is doing for the development of the state, that is why we want him to consider us in his developmental strides so that we too would benefit from the dividends of democracy he is delivering to the people and that will also encourage us to canvas support and vote for him massively in the 2023 gubernatorial election”.

Dandalin Gwaram who said that the people of his area are yearning for democracy dividends such as the construction of culverts, waterways, roads, among others, begged the state government to find a lasting solution to the problem.

On the Gwaram to Hardawa road, the youth leader appealed to the governor for intervention as according to him, the road is so dear in the lives of the people.

“If you had passed through Gwaram from Hardawa within the week, you would have seen how bad the road has now become as a result of the rain we have been getting this days. The road has become unmotorable, we are in need of emergency intervention. Our people are suffering”, he cried out.

Hammah who said a journey of N100 now attracts N500 from Gwaram to Hardawa on commercial motorcycle described the situation as not easy considering the economic condition of the people.

“We are having the same issue between with Gwaram to Akuyam road, the area is waterlogged, there is a river but we thank God that a bridged was constructed during Mu’azu’s administration but what is lacking now is road”, he said.

Also speaking, Mal. Baba Mohammed Gwaram, a retired civil servant while appreciating governor Bala Mohammed led administration for executing developmental projects across the state, pleaded with him to look into the plights of Gwaram community regarding the the problem of erosion.

“We have serious problem of erosion which has been threatening our houses, our soil is very soft such that no matter how small it rains, it impacted negatively on the land”, he said.

He called on the Bauchi state government to intervene in order to ameliorate their sufferings, adding that the erosion has been affecting both houses and farmlands.

Responding, the Executive Chairman of Misau local government area, Alh. Ahmed Abubakar (Garkuwan Misau) said that the problem is not a new one.

He said that Gwaram community has been battling with issues of flood and erosion for over 50 years.

“Just like you said, flood has occurred in Gwaram, it’s not this year alone and what you need to know is that, Gwaram has for quite a long time battles with erosion, Gwaram has been battling erosion for more than 50 years in the Northeast”, he said.

The local government Chairman Garkuwan Misau noted that the problem in Gwaram is not the type that requires a small job to solve it.

“It’s a very big job, it needs a big work to control the erosion right from where the water is coming into the town. So, this is a work that is capital intensive and I am assuring you that Governor Bala Mohammed has a very good intention to address the problem by carrying out that job”, he noted.

According to him, Garkuwan “a lot of things have been put on ground to embark on the project, the drainage, the road itself would be tarred beginning from Akuyam, Gwaram, Hardawa and Zadawa”.

“The Governor has the intention of carrying out the project. What people need to know is that whatever they see it happened is the will of God and as a Muslims we have to take that in our heart, it’s not intentional that the work has not commenced but it’s in the heart of the government both from the lower level of the government to the highest in the state, that road is in the mind of the governor”, he assured.

The Chairman who expressed regret that the problem cannot be controlled that urgent due to some certain reasons, said “but I am very sure, soon you will see work commencing in Gwaram road”.

He said following the flood that occurred in Gwaram town as a result of heavy rainfall recently, the Governor was in Saudi Arabia but he directed Harick engineering to come and asses the problem with a view to addressing it.

“People of Gwaram are aware of it, stakeholders in Gwaram are aware that they came and inspected the area where the erosion is threatening of which I am sure they will commence work on it”, he said.

“I am assuring you that the road itself would be constructed, there is a plan for that, it’s a road that donor agencies in collaboration with the state government are going to construct and the governor has already put all machineries in motion to ensure its success, he has already met his own condition”, the LG Chairman maintained.

According to him, donor agencies have their own processes which takes time and that the governor has done his own part by making the funds available.

“The funds have been there, kept aside for more than one year such that anytime the donor agencies comes they will just kickstart the work”, the Chairman noted.

The Chairman while assuring the people of Gwaram on the resolve of the state government to execute the project, urged them to continue to support the government in its quest to reposition the state.

“The Bauchi state government under His Excellency Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir is on course, very soon the project would be executed. So, I have his believe and I believe in him, I trust in what he said about Gwaram road including the erosion, that in Sha Allah, it will one day be a history”, the LG Chairman assured.