Etsugaie Community names boreholes after Ndarani SAN, hails water intervention

Etsugaie Community names boreholes after Ndarani SAN, hails water intervention

By Mohammed Baba Busu

The Etsugaie community in Agaie Local Government Area of Niger has named two solar-powered boreholes donated to the community by Alhaji Mohammed Ndarani, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), after him in appreciation of his gesture.

The Village Head of Etsugaie, Alhaji Abdullahi Halilu, disclosed this while inaugurating the two boreholes donated by Ndarani, who is the Hukunchi Nupe and Kasan Hausaland and Madugu Lapai, on Wednesday.

One of the boreholes is located within the heart of Etsugaie town, while the second is situated at the nearby Ruga Fulani community to provide residents with easier access to potable water.

The village head, who was represented by one of his Council members, Alhaji Audi Etsugaie expressed profound appreciation to Ndarani for the intervention, describing it as a gesture that had brought immense relief to the people.

He said the significance of the donation could not be measured merely in monetary terms, stressing that access to clean and safe water was fundamental to the health, dignity and wellbeing of every community.

According to him, the intervention has relieved women, children and other residents of the burden of travelling long distances in search of water, particularly during the dry season when available water sources become inadequate.

“What Alhaji Mohammed Ndarani has done for our people is something that only Almighty Allah can adequately reward.

“If you see a woman going to fetch water and ask her where she is going, she will simply tell you that she is going to fetch water from the Ndarani borehole.

“This shows the level of acceptance and importance attached to these projects by our people. That is why we have decided to name the two boreholes after Ndarani SAN as a mark of appreciation and recognition of his contribution to our community,” he said.

The village head urged the beneficiaries to protect the facilities and ensure that they were properly maintained for the benefit of present and future generations.

He also appealed to other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Ndarani by supporting communities in areas that directly affect the living conditions of the people.

Speaking earlier, Ndarani SAN said his passion for providing potable water to communities was driven by his understanding of the difficulties faced by rural dwellers in accessing safe and reliable water.

He said water remained one of the most basic necessities of life, adding that no community could make meaningful progress where its people were compelled to spend several hours every day searching for water.

Represented by Alhaji Mohammed Baba Busu, Jekadan Labarin Nupe, Ndarani said he was particularly concerned about the plight of women and children who often bore the greatest burden of fetching water for domestic use.

The legal luminary explained that during the rainy season, the situation could become even more challenging because many communities relied on unsafe and contaminated water sources, thereby exposing residents to water-borne diseases.

According to him, providing solar-powered boreholes is part of his modest contribution toward improving the living conditions of people in rural communities.

“I have always believed that leadership is about touching lives and responding to the genuine needs of the people.

“Water is life, and wherever our people are suffering because of lack of potable water, we must do whatever is within our capacity to provide a solution.

“This is not about politics; it is about humanity and giving back to society. I will continue to support communities within my capacity because I believe that every individual has a responsibility to contribute to the development of his or her people,” he said.

The learned silk urged the beneficiaries to take ownership of the facilities, warning that the sustainability of the projects depended largely on the commitment of the community to protect and maintain them.

He expressed hope that the boreholes would significantly reduce the hardship previously experienced by residents and provide safe water for domestic use.

In his remarks, Engr. Mohammed Dagachi Etsugaie, Director-General, Ndarani SAN Senatorial Organisation (NDASSO), described Ndarani as a man who “always keeps his promises,” stressing that his commitment to the development of communities was demonstrated through his actions.

Dagachi said Ndarani made a commitment to the people of Etsugaie during his campaign visit to the community and had now returned to fulfil the promise.

He said the development demonstrated that Ndarani was a leader who attached importance to keeping his word and responding to the needs of the people.

According to him, the donation of the boreholes was another indication that Ndarani was already contributing to the development of Niger South without occupying any elected or appointed government position.

“He is a man who talks and does. During his campaign visit to this community, he promised to provide these boreholes, and today he has fulfilled that promise.

“People should support individuals who have demonstrated capacity, commitment and compassion for the people. Here is someone using his personal resources to provide infrastructure and assist communities even when he is not occupying any government position.

“If someone can do this much with his personal resources while outside the government, imagine what he can achieve when given the opportunity to represent the people at the senatorial level.

“We believe that with the support of the people, Ndarani SAN will bring a massive transformation to Niger South,” Dagachi said.

He urged the people to continue to support development-oriented initiatives and to hold leaders accountable for their promises to the electorate.

Also speaking, the leader of the Fulani community in the area, Alhaji Wokili Nakawu , Wokili Dikko Fulani Agaie, lauded Ndarani for providing the borehole to the Ruga Fulani community, describing the intervention as a major relief after years of hardship in accessing potable water.

Nakawu said the Fulani community had endured considerable difficulties in obtaining safe water for domestic use, with residents often travelling long distances before getting water.

“For several years that we have been here, we suffered a lot before we could get potable water for our domestic needs.

“Women and children were particularly affected because they had to travel far in search of water, sometimes spending several hours before returning home,” he said.

He said the provision of the solar-powered borehole had brought joy and relief to the community, adding that the facility would improve sanitation, hygiene and the general wellbeing of residents.

Nakawu expressed appreciation to Ndarani for remembering the Fulani community and including it among the beneficiaries of the intervention.

He assured that the community would protect and maintain the borehole, describing it as a valuable asset that would continue to benefit the people for years to come.

He prayed Almighty Allah to continue to bless Ndarani, increase his resources and reward him for his humanitarian efforts.

The beneficiaries also expressed appreciation to Ndarani, describing the intervention as timely and impactful.

They said access to potable water would not only reduce the burden of fetching water but would also contribute to improved health, sanitation and the overall quality of life in the community.