Water scarcity in Yauri town

Considering the natural strategic location of Yauri, its economic potential as well as the rate at which its population continues to grow among several other factors, Yauri town deserves to be a major focus of attention for any government that really intends to put the state as a whole on the fast lane for rapid socio- economic transformation.

Yauri, by my personal observation, has not for decades enjoyed its deserved placement among the sister emirates. Several regimes right from the creation of Kebbi State seem not to recognise the fruitfulness of harnessing both human and material resources of the unique emirate and particularly the Yauri metropolis.

I recently realised the horrible situation of the healthcare delivery in Yauri community when I was told there was the urgent need to provide drugs for patients of hepatitis, especially my brother, a teacher who called me. The situation is complex and affects him directly; he is the point of attention for the other patients and he does not have enough money to buy the drugs prescribed for him.

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I was obliged to assist and join him in the ‘self-jihad’ at the medical shop as one has to join a seemingly indefinite queue of people who were there for similar purpose. I was forced to ask why there was a crowd was and why everyone was treating either hepatitis or typhoid, I was informed that those were the main health problems affecting Yauri community due to lack of potable water. This is a surprise because the natural source of water in Yauri, is enough to serve the whole state industrially and domestically if only the nature’s free gift will be appropriately harnessed.

This is, as a matter of fact, a serious issue which the authorities and the institution concerned must give priority to Yauri metropolis is home to not less than 100,000 people that engage in different commercial activities and contribute immensely to the development of not only the community, but the state and the nation at large.

Though some past administrations in the state have made efforts towards ensuring provision of water and pipes were laid, the effort usually stops at the laying of pipes. Now people have to rely absolutely on barrow pushers and water peddlers whose water tanks have continued to increase in number on a daily basis.

Hassan Sani Takware,

Sokoto