Outer Section of the Primary Health Centre
In Suku community, Wase LGA, Plateau state, over 5,000 residents do not have access to healthcare, education, and clean water. Suku is the oldest community in Kadarko District of Wase LGA and the majority of the residents are farmers.
The Primary Health centre in Suku is merely a building with a roof. There are no beds, no drugs or equipment. There is also no toilet or bathroom. The staff must improvise with the available resources and sometimes purchase medications for the patients.
When Tracka visited the community, we spoke to the Wazirin Suku, who lamented the situation and the government’s insensitivity to their plight.
“The PHC built by the Local Government has nothing at all. Even the mat and table in the PHC belongs to the Chief (i.e. Sarki). The staff of the PHC always purchase drugs and other medications that are given to patients. The government did not provide anything.” he said.
We have presented our request to the LGA Chairman and the other politicians on several occasions. Still, all our efforts are of no avail.”
The community has also been without clean water for many years and had to take matters into their own hands two years ago when they saw no help was coming. According to the Sarki, the people had to contribute money to dig boreholes.
“The government is doing nothing to better our community. Before, we went as far as 22 kilometres from SUKU to Wase to fetch water. It was not until 2019 that my people contributed some money and dug two boreholes.” he said.
In Takalafiya community, also in Wase LGA, the people contributed their financial and workforce resources to build two classrooms at the dilapidated LEA Primary School, Takalafiya. But two classrooms cannot house over four hundred pupils. The entire school is in terrible condition as there are no windows, roofs, or furniture. The pupils have to learn in an open field, affecting learning during rainy and dry seasons.
“There are over four hundred pupils in the school, and they have to manage in terrible conditions. Whenever it rains, we have to move all of them to the two classrooms that were built by the community because the other classes don’t have roofs.
The government should help us build new classrooms. The current situation is terrible, and our children are suffering just because they want to learn. This is unfair.” said Mallam Biyu, a father of one of the pupils in the school.
Tracka calls on the governor of plateau state Simon Lalong, Senator Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut, Honourable Ahmed Idris Wase representing the constituency and also the Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives, the LGA Chairman, Doctor Abubakar Ado Buba, and other relevant stakeholders to provide quality healthcare and education to Takalafiya and Suku communities in Wase Local Government.
Public funds must work for the good of the people.
Story by Ayomide Ladipo and Nanman Gushal.
