After waiting for years for the government to develop his community due to long years of neglect, the village head of the Eppa community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, Abbas Mohammed, has undertaken major projects aimed at improving the living conditions of his people using the paid royalties from farm produce.
The projects include the construction of six new blocks of classrooms with an office, completing two abandoned classrooms with an office, constructing a healthcare centre, constructing a vigilante office, as well as the Village Head’s palace.
The Eppa community in the Mokwa local government area of Niger State is believed to have existed for over 500 years, and its people, who are predominantly farmers, share borders with Kebbi and Sokoto states.
The community is said to have been experiencing neglect from the government, but upon his assumption on the throne as village head of Eppa in July 2024, Abbas Mohammed said he met numerous challenges confronting the community, ranging from dilapidated school structures and health care centres, thereby making access to Education and health care difficult for the people.
Following the royalties paid by the non-indigenous farmers from Sokoto and Kebbi states, he decided to embark on the projects to meaningfully touch the lives of his people.
The projects are the construction of six new blocks of classrooms with an office, completing two abandoned classrooms with an office, constructing a health care centre, constructing a vigilante office, as well as a Village Head’s palace within one year.
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According to him, the non-indigenes were predominantly farmers who paid royalties through farm produce, noting that the produce was sold, and the money realised was utilised for developmental projects.
He also revealed that the community has an official voter strength of about 900 persons, even though there is a larger population of people in the community.
The community leader further hinted that plans have reached advanced stage to construct a befitting guest house and a Youth Corps members lodge in the area.
He lamented that the two bridges connecting the area with neighbouring communities was washed away as a result of the recent Mokwa flood, stressing that the calamity had shortly affected the school season in the area as well as paralysed the economic fortune of the people.
Mohammed, therefore, called on the state government to come to their aid and reconstruct the bridges.
Dignitaries in their separate remarks during the commissioning of the projects described the initiative as laudable and worthy to be emulated.
They also urged the people to complement the efforts of the government at all levels, saying that the government is overwhelmed with numerous developmental projects aimed at improving the livelihoods of the citizens.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
