By; MUIZAT SANI, Kaduna
Worried by the devastating effects of gully erosion on lives and environment, residents of Mando Community have appealed for quick intervention from Kaduna State Government.
A cross section of community and tribal heads who spoke to our correspondent, lamented the inconveniences deep craters on streets created by gullies have prevented smooth day-to-day running of human activities in the community.
Home and shop owners within the community said flooding associated with the raining season has swept off upper surface layers of most of the streets in the area, creating an inward depression which they feared may lead to disaster if left unchecked.
They attributed the worsening situation to the fact that virtually all streets within the community had not been tarred over the years.
A shop owner who simply identified himself as Baba Ojo decried slow pace of business in the area, a development he attributed to worsening state of roads in the suburb.
” It has not been easy, particularly with the coming of wet season which comes with high volume of surface water running on the rustic and roads not tarred.
” As you can see for yourself the level of devastation and effects of gully erosion which has over the years been sweeping uppermost layers of the topography of the area, leaving it vulnerable to windy weather.
” We appeal to the state government under the leadership of Governor Nasiru el-Rufai to please come to our aid before he leaves office next year, ” he urged.
A home owner, Nasir Shittu disclosed that most of his tenants had left his house for a better location due to bad state of roads in the Mando Community.
Shittu, explaining further, stated that the area had not been fortunate to be remembered by subsisting administrations in Kaduna state, adding that road infrastructures were acutely lacking in the whole of Mando.
” You can count the number of tarred roads in our community because they are few, very few.
” It is sad and pathetic when we visit other areas to see how they have been upgraded with road infrastructure and other urban amenities.
” We pray for a day such gestures will be extended to us so our people can enjoy dividends of democracy too, ” he said .
Expressing his worries also, a resident of mando who identified himself as Isa Sanusi disclosed that, ” the flood which usually occurs during raining season affects roads, houses, and other moveable properties of people most especially the less privileged, ” he said.
Sunusi, a commercial tricycle operator narrated his sad experience in the hands of traffic officers whom he noted manhandled him because he drove against traffic in an effort to avoid a bad portion of the road.
Concerned locals trooped out in their numbers, pouring out their hearts to our reporter, with some describing their community as a “forgotten” enclave.
They charged the present administration in the state to do something urgent to alleviate the long time suffering experienced by people of Mando Community.
