Erosion devastates Tsaragi school, halts road construction

By Mohammed Sulieman

Despite the construction of fences and the renovation of the culvert in the market area and Central Primary School, erosion has heavily affected the Central Primary and Junior School in Tsaragi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.

This reporter’s recent visit to Central Primary School Tsaragi revealed the terrible situation of the school as erosion has devastated the land, making it impassable for the students, and raising serious safety concerns for both students and staff.

“The erosion started by washing away the topsoil, but now it has developed into a deep gully that makes it impossible for people to cross,” said Mrs Nawo Ketura the Head Mistress, Central Primary School described the erosion as a long-standing issue that has progressively worsened.

“The school authorities had reported the situation to the Etsu of Tsaragi, who informed us that a formal complaint had been made to the state governor, and we were told the issue is on the governor’s desk, but we are yet to see any action taken.”

“Government officials have visited the site and promised assistance, but we haven’t heard back from them,” she added.

She lamented that the erosion affects not only the school but also the surrounding community. It extends from the school into the road, including the Share-Tsaragi road, which has become impassable for vehicles.

Dauda AbdulKadur, the Edu Local Government Education Secretary of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board who has also served as the HeadMaster of Central Primary School explained the root cause of the problem.

He noted that the culverts in the market area were blocked, this prevented water from flowing properly, forcing it to channel through the school grounds.

“Years ago, when I was the HeadMaster, I personally funded the grading of the school grounds to redirect water flow, but unfortunately, those handling the project acted in their own interest, making the situation worse,” he said.

Abdulkadir further told to this reporter that the erosion has also disrupted houses and even the Share-Tsaragi road project, as engineers had to halt construction due to the damage caused by the erosion.

“The Executive Governor of Kwara State stopped by to observe the devastating impact of the erosion, but since then, we have not received any updates or assistance.

“This problem is beyond my capacity as the Education Secretary as I can only facilitate Authorities to look into it. Only State Government intervention can resolve it,” he stressed.

The Principal of Central Junior Secondary School, AbdulKareem Sha’aba, expressed dissatisfaction over the worsening condition of the school.

“I’ve witnessed multiple failed attempts to address this issue. The problem grows daily, and we need urgent government intervention before it escalates further,” he said.

President of the Youth Development Association Tsaragi (YODAT), Muhammed Salihu, expresses that the erosion is a federal government issue.

“The state government has taken some steps, like addressing market road problems, but this erosion requires ecological funds from the federal government. An architect has already assessed the situation and designed a plan for comprehensive intervention,” he said.

He further said that the lack of political representation for Tsaragi, which he believes is a significant obstacle to progress.

“The initial proposal for the Ecological fund was submitted during Hon. Abubakar Ahmed Ndakene’s tenure, but at the time, he was also pursuing a similar project in his hometown, leaving the Tsaragi project unattended,” he explained

When Hon. Ahmed Saba Ajiya came into power, he did not prioritize the project but instead proposed a new one—the Sha’are-Tsaragi road.

“The only thing that can help us now is having our own representative who can push this project forward, as all the necessary groundwork has already been done,” Salihu said.

“The proposal has been sitting in the Ministry of Works in Ilorin for years, but without strong political representation, it remains stagnant,” he added.

This reporter observed that the erosion damaging Central Primary School is also affecting the construction of the Sha’are-Tsaragi road.

When contacted, the supervising engineer, Fabamise Idowu Adebayo, from the Kwara State Ministry of Works in Ilorin.

“We had to stop work due to the severe erosion coming from Central Primary School.”

He also mentioned that before starting the project, locals advised them to wait because the erosion from the school was already severe. However, they decided to proceed, thinking it would not significantly affect the project.

“The main reason we stopped work was due to the rain,” he continued.

“Additionally, when we halted work, our equipment was stolen. As we speak work is ongoing on the Share-Tsaragi Road project.”