Jauro Jatau: A community excluded from development
Sir: On January 15, I visited Jauro Jatau, a rural community under Garko ward – Akko Local Government Area in Gombe State. What I encountered was not merely underdevelopment, but
Sir: On January 15, I visited Jauro Jatau, a rural community under Garko ward - Akko Local Government Area in Gombe State. What I encountered was not merely underdevelopment, but a troubling reminder that progress in Nigeria remains uneven. While many parts of the state continue to record visible infrastructural growth, Jauro Jatau stands as a community still waiting to be fully integrated into that narrative of development.
The road leading into Jauro Jatau is severely dilapidated, riddled with potholes and erosion threatening. During the rainy season, two small bridges linking the community to the main bypass become submerged, effectively cutting off residents from neighbouring settlements. When this happens, economic activities are suspended, emergency mobility is restricted, and the community is left isolated. For a people engaged in farming and petty trading, such disruption carries significant economic and social consequences and burden to deal with.
Equally concerning is the prolonged absence of electricity. For over a year, Jauro Jatau has remained without power following the breakdown of its only transformer. The situation is particularly striking because surrounding communities enjoy stable electricity supply. Darkness in Jauro Jatau is not symbolic — it is literal and nightmarish. Businesses cannot operate efficiently, students struggle to study at night, and households are left to rely on costly alternatives. In an era where energy access is central to development, the prolonged blackout raises urgent questions about responsiveness and inclusion.
Residents who spoke during my visit — some reluctantly — highlighted additional gaps: the absence of a functional government clinic, lack of a police outpost, and poor road infrastructure. These are not luxury amenities; they are foundational elements of governance and public welfare.
A community without accessible healthcare faces avoidable risks. A community without security presence feels vulnerable. A community without reliable roads remains economically constrained.
It is important to acknowledge that Gombe State has recorded notable infrastructural expansion in recent years. Road networks have improved in several parts of the state, and development projects are visible. Under the leadership of Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, significant investments have been made in key sectors.
However, development must be inclusive to be meaningful. The benefits of governance must reach peripheral communities such as Jauro Jatau, not only urban centres and politically strategic locations.
There are also concerns that political factors, including the absence of polling units, may have contributed to the community’s neglect. Whether perception or reality, the effect is the same: citizens feel unseen.
Democratic governance demands that public goods are not distributed based on electoral arithmetic alone, but on the principle of equal citizenship.
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The two fragile bridges connecting Jauro Jatau to the tarred bypass road remain a pressing risk. A heavy downpour could render them unusable or wash them away entirely. Proactive intervention would not only safeguard lives and property but also demonstrate a commitment to preventive governance rather than reactive responses.
The situation in Jauro Jatau calls for coordinated action. The state government, federal representatives including Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje, local authorities, and relevant agencies must prioritise restoring electricity, rehabilitating access roads, reinforcing the bridges, and establishing essential public services such as a primary healthcare centre and basic security presence. These are modest but transformative steps.
Jauro Jatau does not ask for special treatment. It asks for inclusion. It asks for infrastructure that reflects its status as part of the Nigerian federation. It asks for light — both in the physical and developmental sense.
National development is measured not only by flagship projects in state capitals but also by the condition of communities at the margins. If Nigeria’s growth story is to be credible, it must speak for places like Jauro Jatau. Their silence should not be mistaken for satisfaction. It is, rather, a quiet expectation that governance will eventually meet them where they are.
The time to act is now. In the pertinent and passionate words of Matawallen Jauro Jatau Mal. Inuwa Usman: “We are appealing to all kind-hearted individuals, especially those within the corridors of power to as a matter of humanity come to our aid.”
