By Saeed Ahmad Bappah, Gombe
The Gombe State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) has called on residents in Kaltungo Local Government Area to take full ownership of newly provided water and sanitation facilities to ensure their long-term sustainability.
The call was made during a monitoring tour led by the agency’s team, under the leadership of the General Manager and Project Coordinator, Engineer Muhammad Ahmad Gibirimu.
The PC who was represented by Yahaya Umaru Shabewa, began the oversight visit at the palace of the District Head of Awak, Alhaji Suleman Hamza, to seek royal counsel and blessings.
During the visit, the traditional ruler lauded Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his commitment to rural development, noting that Awak Town has been a major beneficiary of the administration’s intervention projects.
“We are witnessing a rapid economic improvement courtesy of these boreholes, and our hygiene standards have significantly improved because of the portable drinking water we now have access to,” the District Head remarked.
He explained that as a predominantly agrarian community, the boreholes provided by RUWASSA—serving both farmlands and residential wards—have effectively mitigated the water scarcity challenges that previously plagued the area.
As the team inspected facilities in Bukka Arba’in village, which included a new solar-powered borehole and a six-room gender-segregated toilet block, Shabewa emphasized that the responsibility for maintaining these assets rests with the beneficiaries.
“We urge the community to take ownership of these facilities by ensuring their cleanliness and performing routine repairs. The government cannot return to handle minor maintenance; it is the community’s role to keep these systems functional for the benefit of all,” Shabewa tasked the beneficiaries.
The impact of the infrastructure was echoed by Hajiya Maryam S. Hamza, the Head Mistress of Zamfarawa Primary School, where new facilities were installed.
She noted that the presence of the solar powered borehole and toilets has been a transformative development for the school, noting that “Before these facilities, our students often engaged in open defecation, which posed great health risks to the entire community.”
Beneficiaries at the sites, including Muhammad Sani Abubakar and Maryam Muhammad, reported a marked improvement in public health since they stopped relying on stream water.
Similar sentiments were shared during a visit to Dogon Ruwa, where the acting District Head, Muhammad Tela, commended the government’s efforts.
On behalf of the community, local leaders expressed deep appreciation for the administration’s focus on roads, schools, and water, while also appealing for the establishment of a Primary Health Care center to address emergency medical needs and reduce the risks associated with traveling to Kaltungo for treatment.
The RUWASSA team concluded their tour by inspecting additional solar-powered water systems and sanitation facilities in Gujuba Town and at Gujuba Secondary School.
Throughout the mission, the agency reiterated that the continued success of these projects depends on the vigilance and proactive management of the communities they serve.
The inspection team included Geologist Usman Babayo, WASH Officer Hadiza Muhammad Shabbal, and water quality officers Rabi Ibrahim Daneji and Hamza Muhammad Waziri.
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