On many occasions, residents of border towns in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara, have called the attention of the government to the need for development programmes to ensure better life in the communities.

The residents recently repeated the call at their Town Hall Meeting with Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara in Gwanara.

They raised concern about what they described as lack of government attention on the development of the area by the successive governments, especially at the national level.

They also identified lack of potable water, unsteady power supply, lack of roads and medical facilities, among others, as challenges being faced across the border communities.

Mr Abdullahi Idris, a participant from Okuta Community, appealed to the state government to upgrade and equip the state General Hospital in the town.

According to him, most residents of the area receive medical attention in the neighbouring Republic of Benin due to the lack of adequate medical facilities.

He also complained about water scarcity in the community, pleading with the state government to address the challenges.

Alhaji Aliyu Yusuf, a resident of Gwanara, in his remarks, called for the construction of bridge across streams in the area for easy transportation of goods and passengers.

He noted that there was no strong international border post between the community and the Republic of Benin.

According to him, the state and the Federal Government should form a synergy to address the problems of the communities.

Other participants who spoke at meeting called for reconstruction of cattle market at Ilesha-Baruba and construction of dams in the area to serve as long-time solution to the water scarcity.

They drew the attention of the governor to the collapse of Gure Bridge on Kosubosu-Yashikira road, observing it had become a source of concern for the traders plying the route.

They, nonetheless, commended the wife of the state governor, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed on the recent inauguration of a breast and cervical cancer screening centre for border communities of Baruten Local Government Area of the state.

They also noted that the governor’s wife had empowered many women in the area with items worth millions of naira.

According to them, the women receive items such as grinding machines, hair driers, sewing machines, bales of cloths and money to start up businesses, among others.

In spite of this, Malam Sulaiman Yaru-Yite, the Secretary of Association of Baruten Food Stuff Dealers, called for the location of more banks in the border communities of Kwara.

In an interview, he said the presence of only one bank in the entire council area was inadequate given the volume of commercial activities in the area.

He said traders from across Nigeria and the neighbouring Benin Republic were engaging in many businesses in the border communities.

``Many of us are always afraid while moving cash around for fear of being robbed; our customers move from Lagos and other parts of the country to this area with huge amount of money.

``There is an urgent need for more banks because most of the customers are afraid of losing their money,’’ he said.

Also in an interview, the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, Alhaji Hassan Bagudu, urged the Federal Government to rehabilitate the roads linking the area to other communities.

He observed that the deplorable roads in the area were posing serious security challenges because armed gangs were exploiting the situation to attack traders that plied the routes.

In his response, the governor promised to address the problems enumerated by the people, noting that the meeting was organised to have a face-to-face discussion with the people of the area.

Ahmed noted that the state government would grade more than 500 kilometres of roads across the state, including Ilesha-Baruba-Gbereberu and Bode Moro roads in Baruten Local Government Area of the state.

He attributed the enhanced tempo in road construction in the state to the conviction that provision of infrastructure, especially roads was a major catalyst for social-economic development.

He also said his administration would establish an Independent Power Project next year in the north senatorial district of the state.

He said the project would generate 100 megawatts of electricity to power industrial clusters and promote essential services.

Ahmed disclosed that 40 secondary schools in Kwara North would be rebuilt and equipped in line with global standards and local needs next year.

``I wish to state for emphasis that this government has completed almost all the inherited projects while the new ones initiated are almost completed across all sectors,’’ the governor said.

All in all, the residents called on the state government to bring democratic dividends to more people in border communities of the state for overall socio-economic development.

(Credit: NAN Features)