A community leader, Chief Ibrahim Shekwagu, has decried the lack of development in Lokotiye, a Community in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Shekwagu, in an interview on Wednesday, said that the community lacked the basic democracy dividends.
According to him, “there are no good roads, schools, pipe-borne water, hospital, polling unit and electricity, among others.
He said that although the community shares boundary with Orozo in FCT, the only bridge linking both communities collapsed in 2016.
“Whenever it rains, the river will overflow its banks, making it impossible for the villagers go out or come in.”
The chief said he built three classrooms for the only primary school in the area and a primary healthcare centre while the state government posted only one nurse and a teacher to the facilities.
According to him, “the teacher teaches over 400 pupils in the primary school.
He explained that all the workers in the community’s health centre were being paid by the community.
Shekwagu said that through communal effort, the people had also built a Police outpost that has become dilapidated.
He said that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) collects about N3 million from the community every month but when their transformers have problems, the people have to contribute money to repair them.
He, therefore, urged management of AEDC and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to electrify the area and install prepaid meters.
According to him, the people, numbering about 5,000, are predominantly farmers, but have never received fertilisers or improved seedlings from the government.
The farmers, he said, purchase a bag of fertiliser at N5, 000 to N6,000 and that since many of them are poor, they cannot afford the cost.
He, therefore, urged the Tanko Al-Makura administration and the lawmakers representing the area, to bring development to the area.
PUNCH