By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
Worried over residents of Illela communities in Sokoto state taking corpses of victims of bandits attack to hospitals morgue in Konni town of neighbouring Niger republic due to consistent power outages, a Member of representing Illela/ Gwadabawa Federal Constituency, Hon. Abdullahi Balarabe Salame(APC-Sokoto) has donated three 48 KVA capacity power generating sets to two hospitals and a community respectively.
The benefitting hospitals are; general hospitals Illela and Gwadabawa while Salame community is allocated the remaining one for water supply purposes.
Before the development , residents of communities in Illela town, headquarters of Illela local government of Sokoto state have due to constant power outage, resorted to taking dead bodies of victims of bandits attacks to Konni hospitals’ morgue in neighbouring Niger republic to avoid decomposing and environmental pollution .
The proliferation of banditry and killings of residents in Illela communities, one of the local government in the eastern axis remain a source of concern which hitherto, resulted in the lost of innocent souls in alarming proportion at short frequencies thus forcing residents to move corpses to the neighbouring country of Niger republic before handing over to respective families and relatives for burial.
However, following the mind boggling development occasioned by the consistent failure in electricity supply, Salame who was astonished over the situation threatening the comfort and peace of communities and constituents, described the trend of experience as devastating and worrisome especially with the frequent power outage which also forced an unhealthy decision of taking bodies victims of bandits attack to Konni hospitals morgue in Niger republic.
“Complaints have reached me by members of the affected communities that they have resolved to move corpses of their deceased families members, relatives killed by bandits to neighbouring community of Konni town in Niger Republic. They said instead of keeping them at Illela hospital cold facilities where there is constant power outage , they prefer taking the bodies to Konni in Niger republic and later return them to Illela in Sokoto state when ready for burial “, Salame said.
Dr Salame observed that the decision to move the corpses to Niger republic was to avoid impact of decomposing bodies to the health of residents and the communities environment while adding that” they felt hospitals in Niger Republic experience constant electricity supply and other cold facilities that will prevent the bodies from decomposing.”
Moving forward on the power outage, the HoRs lawmaker donated the generating sets generators .
Salame who further expressed shock in devastation on the incessant killings activities of bandits rendering many women as widows and children’s orphans, also donated clothing materials for distribution to 24,000 internally displaced persons
In addition to that, he donated 38 tricycles, 172 motorcycles, 181 sewing machines for women within the constituency.
This, the lawmaker said were aimed at empowering constituents towards attaining some level of self reliance through meaningful business activities.
In his remarks, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal who commended the efforts of the lawmaker for extending the gesture to constituents , advised politicians to practice politics without bitterness for the development of the state and the nations in general.
Tambuwal further said he was ready to respond to invitation on such initiatives from any politician irrespective of party differences respective so long as is for the benefit of the people of the state.
He noted that politics of bitterness was detrimental to development while urging politicians in the state to put hands together irrespective of their political differences and foster unity, mutual understanding among members for the rapid development of the state.
Responding the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Abubabakr Sa’ad praised the foresight of the legislator and called for all leaders in the country to emulate him by ensuring true democratic dividends were benefitted by communities.
The revered monarch also called on the beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the items so as to be self-reliant.
