By Abubakar Yunusa
Following the transition of power in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), residents, community stakeholders, and traditional rulers have laid out a comprehensive development blueprint for the newly inaugurated Chairman, Hon. Mohammed Kasim.
The community called on the new administration to urgently reverse years of infrastructural neglect left behind by the immediate past chairman, Hon. Abubakar Jibrin Giri.
While acknowledging the outgoing chairman’s minimal efforts in installing solar lights in select communities, stakeholders largely criticized his administration for failing to drive meaningful socio-economic growth or execute people-oriented projects at the grassroots level.
Confronted with this deficit, residents from various sectors have urged Hon. Kasim to prioritize rural infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security across the council’s ten political wards.
At the forefront of the community’s demands is the rehabilitation of dilapidated roads.
For Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi and Mallam Sule Usman, elders from Anguwan Azara, jointly appealed to the chairman to tar the Anguwan Azara road and the Alhaji Nura road leading to Kasuwa Dare to ease the daily struggles of commuters.
Similarly, the Chief of the Yoruba community in Zuba, Oba Odunbaku Murtala, lamented that his people had been neglected for too long, urging the council chief to repair failing roads in Zuba and its surrounding villages.
Other infrastructure interventions demanded by the community include -the abattoir road, erosion control, water, security, education and healthcare in crisis.
Mallam Iliya Idris Ningi, a retired civil servant, urged the chairman to tar the critical abattoir road, which was demolished by the previous administration but left unconstructed.
A local land agent, Mallam Uba Zakari pleaded for the rapid construction of drainages and culverts across Gwagwalada to curb severe erosion and restore access to cut-off communities.
Mallam Ningi further pressed for new transformers to light up the suburbs, while Oba Murtala advised the Chairman to collaborate directly with the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to stabilize power in Zuba and Ikwa.
Stakeholders also painted a grim picture of the basic social services in the Area Council.
Observers noted that primary education requires immediate emergency intervention, as many pupils currently sit on bare floors due to a severe shortage of desks and chairs.
Hon. Kasim was urged to renovate dilapidated primary schools and introduce a robust scholarship scheme for less privileged students.
Also, Mr. Aliyu Audu, an Anguwan Azara resident, challenged the new administration to stock the township hospital and local clinics with essential drugs and provide enough hospital beds to properly accommodate patients.
To tackle widespread water scarcity, the Village Head of Anguwan Jeshi, Abubakar Gani, urged the council boss to systematically drill boreholes across all ten political wards.
On the economic and security front, Zuba-based businessman Mr. Paul Samson tasked the Chairman with fencing local markets to curb rising security challenges.
Additionally, an anonymous surveyor advised the Chairman to officially transfer the Land Department from the Capital Investment and Property Development (CIPP) back to the Area Council for smoother administrative workflow.
As Hon. Kasim settles into office, community elders and traditional rulers have advised him to learn from the mistakes of his predecessor by adopting an inclusive approach to governance.
“Carry everybody along irrespective of their political affiliations,” Gani advised, a sentiment echoed by Mallam Wada Ali, who urged the Chairman to surround himself with sound, sincere advisers who will guide his administration toward true progress for the people of Gwagwalada
