Omobude Olumale’s countenance showed stress and anger as he drove a 2006 Honda Civic Saloon car through the access road of the Shetugo community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
His anxiety was caused by the terrible condition of the road, which makes driving through it an arduous chore. Although burned out, the middle-aged businessman did not hesitate to grant an interview on the 17th of October 2023.
“Yes, I will talk”, he said swiftly.
Omobude in his car
“We are living in a very terrible situation here, especially when it rains. I am speaking on behalf of members of this community, please come and help us” Olumale said.
Shetugo community with a population of over 2000 people from diverse tribes and languages is increasingly transforming into a suburban city; however, the presence of the government in terms of social amenities like roads is a major challenge for its residents.
He finds it difficult to believe that Shetugo village is part of the Nation’s Capital (Abuja) because of “the outright neglect by the government.
Olumale is not alone in the exasperation. Amechi, another resident in the community alleged that during the election, the chairman of the area council brought in some contractors to construct the road, instead they worsened it and left after the election without carrying out any repairs.
“If you go to my house now you find my smaller car parked because of bad road has destroyed it”, Dr, Kelechi a resident, also lent her voice.
According to the village head of Shetugo, Adamu Dalhat Yusuf, the existence of Shetugo pre-date the establishment of Abuja as the Nation’s capital.
“We shouldn’t be going through such pain,” he said.
He however called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Kuje Area Council to consider their plight.
On his part, the Speaker of the Kuje Area Council, Muhammad Awal Ibrahim stated that the Chairman of Kuje Area Council had interfaced with some members of the community during a town hall meeting where he promised that the road would be constructed by 2024.
On February 17, 2017, some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje that the poor state of infrastructure had hindered economic and social development in the area. The report also highlighted the plight of farmers.
“The road we use to convey our farm products to Kuje market is in a bad state and very dusty; the yams and cassava get spoilt before we reach the market.” the farmers lamented.
If the Government follows through on its commitment, Omobude and other community members may have to wait until next year to breathe a sigh of relief.
By Haruna A. Yusuf
