Kargo: Inside Jigawa community wreaked by erosion

Residents of Kargo, a suburb community close to Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, are crying out over gully erosion threat, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

Kargo village is located about 4 kilometres from Dutse. Despite its proximity to the state capital, the community faces persistent threat of soil erosion and lack of access road to and from the community, especially during the rainy season.

The community is made up of four areas namely; Kargon Wanzamai, Kargon Mahauta, Kargon Magorawa and Kargon Baushe. 

Residents of the village face difficulties accessing other communities because of the impact of the erosion. 

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Residents said pregnant women, on a number of occasions, had delivered while on transit to hospitals in Dutse.

There is no primary healthcare facility in the community though Dutse General Hospital is just 4km away but lack of passable road is another challenge.

The Jigawa State government had tried in the past to control the erosion by erecting concrete drainage system but the ecological problem still persists.

Daily Trust Saturday observed that the quality of education in the community is not different because the only primary school in the community with three blocks of classrooms is battling with inadequate teachers as well as security guards to man the school’s premises. 

The community head, who is the Mai Unguwa of Kargon Wanzamai, Malam Isma’il Hassan, said at least 40 houses were destroyed by erosion following previous floods in the area. 

Hassan said every rainy season, the community is at the brink being consumed by flood or landslide, adding that their children do not attend school during the rainy season except a few who live close to the primary school. 

He said sometimes the teachers do not come to school because the area may not be passable. Other challenges listed by the community head include lack of potable water.

“We always call on the government to provide our community with water but up till now, there is none,” he lamented.

“The community with over 5,000 people relies on the only access road to the state capital which is often impassable,” said the community leader. 

Malam Isma’il Hassan called on the state government to come to their aid and address their problems. 

Aminu Umar, a resident of Kargon Wanzamai, said though the community was established many years ago, it has been grossly neglected.

Umar said the erosion is gradually coming closer to their houses and urgent steps need to be taken to arrest the situation before the rainy season sets in. 

“As you can see, the erosion is affecting some areas close to our houses. Motorcycles can manoeuvre to find the way here but car owners do not like to drive to our community because they are worried about erosion,” Umar told our reporter 

“Our concern is that we are close to the seat of government and the state capital yet nothing is happening in our communities in terms of government programs and projects,” he added.

Idris Haruna, Kargon Wanzamai, said children from the community cross over to the other side of the road under the bridge to fetch water from the neighbouring community situated along the road.

He called on the government to urgently come to their rescue as his house is close to the erosion point. 

A house wife, Zulai Suleiman, who resides in Unguwar Sarkin Aska, Kargon Wanzamai, bemoaned the challenges they face while trying to commute to other places.

Speaking on the plight of Kargo community, the Permanent Secretary, ministry of environment Dr Abdullahi Umar Namadi, told Daily Trust Saturday that Jigawa State government in collaboration with Agro-Climatic Residence in Semi-Arid Landscapes ACReSAL is set to embark on remediation works in Kargo community to avert possible destruction of the community by erosion. 

Namadi said the state government has set machinery in motion to address the environmental challenges the community is facing.

The Permanent Secretary said in the next two months, the project would begin and be completed before the next rainy season. 

Similarly, the Executive Secretary Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Haruna Mairiga, in an interview with Daily Trust Saturday agreed that the community is facing a natural disaster but that government will ensure it becomes history. 

He assured residents that he will also report the case to Governor Umar Namadi for his urgent action.