Kaduna: Residents of Bondon Ward in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State have embarked on a self-help project to construct a double-cell ring culvert on a road that connects 10 communities. The District Head of Bondon, Moro’a Chiefdom, Mr. Jonathan Mamam, disclosed this in a telephone interview.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mamam explained that the road, which leads to Government Secondary School Bondon, also connects to communities such as Unguwan Sankwai, Motuak, Hayin Gora, Tsunbwanu, and Rafin Gora. The project began on Monday due to annual rainfall that floods the road corridor, cutting off communities and preventing residents from free movement.
The traditional leader detailed that the project involves constructing a double-cell ring culvert, a drainage structure allowing water to pass under a road using two pre-cast concrete pipe rings. The project requires 16 pre-cast concrete pipe rings at N20,000 each, including transportation, 30 bags of cement, and N50,000 worth of wooden planks.
The community has procured eight pipe rings, although one broke during offloading, leaving a balance of nine.
Mamam mentioned that 25 bags of cement were procured with donations from community members, including support from the Chief of Moro’a, Isiaku Tagwai-Sambo, and Mrs. Ladi Bantex. Additional materials needed include laterite soil and stones to protect the culvert from flooding. Local engineers and carpenters are providing services at no cost, with residents taking turns to provide labor to cut costs.
The decision for the self-help project is rooted in the community’s tradition of executing significant projects independently. Mamam emphasized the importance of using their resources to address pressing community needs and called for more support from the community and well-meaning Nigerians.
Mr. Ashinge Bondon, National Public Relations Officer of the Moro’a Development Association (MDA), Youth Wing, is mobilizing funds through social media. He described the project as critical to the well-being of th
e people, highlighting previous efforts to address the road’s challenges.
Bondon stated that a culvert constructed about five years ago was washed away by flooding, underscoring the need for the current project. He expressed the community’s financial limitations and the need for external assistance to complete the project before the rainy season begins.
NAN reports that other community leaders, including the MDA Chairman, Bondon Branch, Mr. Monday Shemang, and Councillor Seth Ayuba, are also mobilizing for the project completion.