By Donald Iorchir
Residents of Gwagwalada area council have decried the state of decay of infrastructure and essential services in the area, while their elected representatives showed complete disregard to their plight.
The residents observed that huge refuse dumps have taken-over several access roads making movement by pedestrians and motorists a tortuous task, while dust particles from roads scrapped by politicians during campaigns turned homes situated on such roads into a living nightmare with its attendant health risks, especially with the harmattan season.
At the city centre, it was observed that the people’s tales of woes were merely a tip of the iceberg compared to what our correspondent noticed in the communities.
At the area council secretariat, seat of the local government, a sore sight comprising peeling walls, over-flooded and smelling toilets, leaking roofs and broken, caved-in ceiling boards welcomed our exasperated correspondent who wondered aloud what the council administration does with its monthly financial allocation of more than N500 million.
Gwagwalada, like the other five area councils, owes its workers six months’ salary arrears, while workers have left their fate in the hands of God.
Chairman of Gwagwalada area council, Alhaji Mustapha Adamu Danze, alias Obama, simply chuckled when Blueprint asked questions about the state of decay in the Council.
Danze appealed to the residents to be patient with the Council administration, urging them to appreciate the fact that apart from staff salaries and welfare, “there are so many other things demanding attention and a share of the Council’s financial resources.”
