The Village Head of Rafin-Daji community in Gurdi Ward, Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Yakubu Danjuma, has raised concern over an acute water shortage affecting residents, saying the crisis is fueling domestic disputes and disrupting daily life.
Danjuma said he frequently mediates quarrels between couples caused by the lack of water for basic household needs. According to him, many women report being confronted by their husbands when there is no water available for bathing after farm work.
“I cannot count how many times women have come to the palace reporting that their husbands are quarreling with them over bath water,” he said, noting that women often wake up in the early hours to search for water.
Residents who spoke during a visit to the community described the absence of pipe-borne water as a longstanding challenge.
They said the situation worsens during the dry season when local streams dry up, forcing families to rely on stagnant ponds or travel long distances to fetch water.
Mrs. Laraba Audu, a housewife, said she wakes up at about 3:00 a.m. with her daughters to dig for water in a dry stream bed. She explained that her husband often returns from the farm to find no water for bathing, leading to frustration.
Another resident, Mrs. Sarah Ayuba, said she treks to marshland farms to fetch water, which she treats with alum before her family can drink it. She estimated that nearly 80 percent of households in the community are affected by the shortage.
Community elder Mr. Nuhu Adamu said the problem extends to neighboring Unguwar Yunusa village. He noted that two hand-pump boreholes in the area have been non-functional for years.
Although residents once contributed funds to repair one borehole, it broke down again shortly afterward. He added that repeated letters to council authorities have not produced results.
The village head also expressed disappointment over what he described as a lack of basic infrastructure despite the community’s electoral support for the government.
Beyond water, residents say the local education system is also in distress. Danjuma stated that classrooms at the LEA Primary School have collapsed, forcing pupils to learn under trees.
PTA Chairman Ibrahim Saleh said teachers posted to the school have been absent for more than two years, allegedly citing insecurity, even though he claimed security in the area has improved.
As a result, many children now accompany their parents to farms instead of attending school.
In response, an official from the Area Council’s Works Department said the Council Chairman visited the community during a campaign tour in December and assured residents that the two broken boreholes would be repaired and a new solar-powered borehole installed.
The official added that the projects, along with classroom renovations, have been included in the budget, and that an investigation into the prolonged absence of teachers has been ordered.
Source: Daily trust
