Writing By Sani Suleiman; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
Residents of the Pkanti Yali community in Lamido Borno Ward of Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, Taraba State, were filled with excitement as their long struggle with a lack of clean water finally came to an end.
The community, located about five kilometres from the state capital, had suffered a severe water shortage for years due to broken boreholes that were never repaired.
When Grassroots Nigeria visited Wuro Abbajo Primary School in the ward, a large and joyful crowd of women, men, and children was seen celebrating around a drilling truck as the long-awaited borehole project commenced.
The water project, sited at Wuro Abbajo Primary School, is part of the African Development Bank’s (AFDB) Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme, implemented in partnership with the Federal and Taraba State Governments.
The programme seeks to improve basic education, primary healthcare, water supply, sanitation, and livelihood opportunities across the state.
Ward Head, Jauro Adamu, described the intervention as unforgettable, noting that pupils and residents had suffered greatly in search of clean water.
He appealed to political office holders who made unfulfilled promises to honour their commitments, while assuring that the community would protect and maintain the new borehole with the help of the school’s security personnel.
Some children in the community also expressed their delight, saying they were grateful to the government and happy to have clean drinking water at last.
Engr. Isaac Sama’ila, who monitors the project for the African Development Bank, confirmed that the borehole reached a depth of over 100 metres before water was accessed, further demonstrating the scale of the intervention.
Residents hope that their elected leaders will build on this achievement by delivering more developmental projects as part of the dividends of democracy.
Sani Sulaiman
