Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
As part of its social responsibility towards its immediate community, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has drilled the first borehole and donated it to Doka community in Birshi Ward in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State to address the acute water scarcity facing the community for many years.
The community, which is about two kilometres away from the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, has been in existence for over 50 years.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Doka Community Chairman, Lawi Samuel, said “This community has been in existence for over 50 years but as I speak with you, this is the first borehole the community is seeing today.”
He expressed gratitude to RCCG for the wonderful and kind gesture “because what the government could not do for us, the church has done for us.”
“And I thank God that our Councillor is personally here and he should take this message to the state governor and I believe something better will be done for us,” he added.
In a brief remark, the Councilor representing Birshi Ward, Rilwanu Sabo, claimed ignorance of the lack of water in the community saying that: “the community has never written to me to inform me of its lack of borehole.”
Speaking on the lack of maternity in the area, he assured that “I have written to the state government about your lack of maternity and I can assure you that it is in the process and very soon, by God’s grace, you will have your own maternity.
“I have also received your complaint about your road and the bridge, I have also made serious efforts. I wrote a letter and sent it to the government and we are still waiting for their response.”
He expressed gratitude to the RCCG for providing water. “What we, as a government ought to have done, people who are not government, came and executed. Water is life and it is important especially in times like this for a community like this because if this is not available, people will continue to drink contaminated water and this can cause diseases.”
Also speaking, the Mai Anguwam Doka, Engr. Yohanna Daniel, represented by Yusuf Abarshi, expressed gratitude to the RCCG for providing them with water, lamenting that the community has been in existence without government presence except for the electricity they have.
“This community has lacked basic social amenities for over 50 years. We have no government school, we have no access road, we have no maternity. Anytime it is the rainy season, our pregnant women don’t find it easy accessing healthcare, especially because of the bad roads we have,” he said.
Speaking shortly before inaugurating the project, the Special Assistant to the RCCG General Overseer on Personnel, Pastor Julius Olalekan, expressed gratitude to God for enabling the church to provide water for the community.
Olalekan, who is also the Pastor in charge of Region 17 of Bauchi, Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Taraba states of the North-east, said that the project was executed through the Christian Social Responsibility of the RCCG.
He said, “What we are doing today, is a command from God and we have to do it because we know what awaits everyone as a reward. And as I’m telling you today, this has been done all over the world.
“Early this year, we made a donation of some dialysis machines to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital and up to today, the machines are making a lot of difference in the North-east. People are brought all over the North-east to the hospital to use the machines.
“In this Bauchi alone, we have about two to three maternity homes and people go there free and deliver free.
“Since this community said they lack a maternity, I was going to say that the church will provide one for them, but since the Councilor said that the government will provide one. However, we will trust God to see what we can do.”
