NAN-H-11
Border
Ibadan, Dec. 15, 2016 (NAN) Residents of some border communities in the country have expressed concern over the absence of basic social amenities in their areas.
They noted that successive governments at different levels have failed to address the dearth of infrastructure in border communities.
They specifically identified lack of potable water, unsteady power supply as well as poor roads and health facilities as challenges being faced by border communities.
The respondents spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in separate interviews.
Alhaji Idris Abubakar, the Emir of Okuta in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara, said many border communities were yet to be connected to the national grid.
He noted that while residents of the Nigerian border areas were being treated with disdain, their counterparts from the neighbouring Benin Republic enjoy social amenities.
According to him, residents of his community must travel to Nikki in Benin Republic to access good health care facilities.
The monarch flayed successive Nigerian governments for not providing necessary amenities for residents of the area, saying “even the government of poor Benin Republic provides for its border area.”
Mr Abdullahi Idris, a resident of Okuta, however, appealed to the state government to upgrade and equip the General Hospital in the town.
He also lamented the water scarcity in border communities, pleading with government to address the challenge.
A federal lawmaker, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, accused the National Border Communities Development Commission of ineptitude in the task of improving the standard of living in border communities.
Mohammed, who is representing Baruten/Kaiama Federal Constituency of Kwara, told NAN that the commission had failed in its responsibility.
The lawmaker urged the Federal Government to find a way of making the commission to be effective.
“Those of us from border communities know how we face very embarrassing situations, especially when we have to access health care in a country that doesn’t have as much as we have.
“Their border communities are more developed than those of ours.
“ We must as a matter of policy urge the border communities development commission to be more industrious and focused.
“Quite honestly I’m not impressed with its performance so far,’’ he said.
He, however, admitted that the issue of funding might be one of the factors affecting the performance of the commission and solicited government’s assistance.
Another respondent and indigene of Kaiama in Kwara, Hajia Binta Mora, claimed that residents of border communities in Nigeria often access basic amenities sited in Benin Republic.
Mora, who is the Chairperson of the Kwara Council of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), said Nigerians in border communities sometimes feel more at home outside of the country’s border.
“If government doesn’t provide basic amenities for the people, they will one day out of choice prefer to be Beninoise than Nigerians,” she said.
She said Radio Kwara signals had remained poor in the area while many resort to listening to radio stations based in Benin Republic.
According to her, even GSM signals are being accessed from the neighbouring French speaking country as the masts on the Nigerian side of the border are far from many border communities.
Mora, however, said the relationship between Nigerians and their Beninoise counterparts remain cordial, with Chikanda on the Nigerian side only a few metres away from the border.
“They speak the same language and have relations and family roots in Benin Republic; in fact we don’t see them as foreigners.
“An average Kaiama and Baruten indigene has a family tie with the people of Benin Republic,” she said.
She also said both share the same cultural values, attend the same markets as well as have common festival known as Gaani.
Meanwhile, Chief Nurudeen Badmus, the Otunba Balogun of Idiroko, a border town in Ado-Odo/Otta Local Government Area of Ogun, has called for more social amenities in the town to improve the living standard of residents.
Badmus made the call in Idiroko while speaking with NAN.
He described the condition of the residents as appalling, saying the situation resulted from neglect of the area by successive governments in the state.
Badmus said that most of the communities in the border town lack electricity and pipe borne water, adding that the health centres, roads and schools were in deplorable condition.
According to him, the people of the border town engage in small businesses like sale of imported food items such as rice, flour, vegetable oil, imported wines and beverages, biscuits, chicken, turkey and fabrics.
He explained that some residents also run bureau de change.
The high chief, however, said that many youths were being forced into smuggling because of lack of industries in the area.
“We have made several appeals to the government in order to make life more meaningful to us but our pleas have not translated to positive results.
“We are using this opportunity to appeal to the government to make life better for us so we can have a sense of belonging in the country, ” he said.
Mrs Rashidat Bello, the head of traders at Idiroko market, also expressed concern over the situation, saying that residents of the border area were being treated as second class citizens in Nigeria
She lamented that inspite of the strategic location and importance of the area as well as the revenue being generated, government presence was not visible in terms of social amenities.
Some other respondents told NAN that they relate well with citizens of the neighboring Benin Republic.
Mrs Anike Ajao said there had been several cases of inter marriages between some Nigerians and neighbouring Beninoise, adding that the situation had continued to strengthen the cordial relationship.
She said that the neglect of the area had continued to weaken the loyalty and allegiance of members of the border communities to Nigeria.
Ajao said some residents on many occasions had denied being Nigerian and claimed the nationality of Benin Republic to enjoy some social amenities.
NAN reports that Nigerians in most border towns in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State also relate freely with their counterparts from Benin Republic.
NAN further reports that the major peculiarity of residents of border areas is their multilingual ability.
Most Nigerians, especially residents of Saki doing businesses at Odo in Saki West Council Area of Oyo State, speak French for business transactions.
However, the basic amenities put in place in the area were through communal self effort.
Mr Isiaka Olomowewe, a community leader at Odo border town, a few kilometres from Parakou, a suburb of Benin Republic, told NAN that “ we contribute funds to provide water, security and even fix our roads. ‘’(NAN)
REPORTERS/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)