800-household community faces school, healthcare, security challenges as residents demand government intervention
By Abdullahi Inuwa
For more than 800 households, Sardauna Housing Estate in Katsina is supposed to be a place where families can live, raise their children and enjoy access to basic amenities.
But residents say a different reality is gradually emerging.
What was designed as a residential community with spaces for schools, healthcare, recreation and commerce is now at the centre of growing concern over the alleged allocation of public-purpose lands to private interests.
More than 100 residents recently took to the streets in a peaceful protest, calling on the Katsina State Government to urgently intervene and protect lands originally designated for public facilities and social amenities.
Their message was clear: the future of the estate must not be compromised by the loss of spaces meant to serve the community.
At the heart of the residents’ concerns is the alleged encroachment on lands earmarked for essential facilities, including primary and secondary schools, a market, children’s playgrounds and healthcare infrastructure.
The residents say the issue has gone beyond land allocation. For them, it is now a question of what kind of community Sardauna Estate will become in the years ahead.
Speaking during the protest, Hon. Salisu Hamza, Member representing Kankia Local Government Area in the Katsina State House of Assembly, drew attention to what he described as the possible consequences of losing spaces reserved for public facilities.
He expressed particular concern over construction activities around the estate clinic, which residents fear could restrict the facility’s ability to expand as the population increases.
According to him, adequate healthcare facilities are critical to residents, especially families who may require medical attention during emergencies at night.
The lawmaker also alleged that two plots originally reserved for primary and secondary schools had been allocated for private use.
He further raised concerns over the alleged diversion of lands intended for a market and children’s playgrounds.
The absence of schools has become one of the most troubling issues for residents.
Despite being home to more than 800 households, Sardauna Estate, according to the residents, has no formal educational institution within the community.
Children therefore have to leave the estate to access schools, creating additional challenges for parents and pupils.
For the residents, the irony is difficult to ignore: a large, established housing estate has families, homes and a growing population, but lacks some of the basic social infrastructure expected in a properly planned community.
The Chairman of the Sardauna Housing Estate Residents Association, Malam Musa Rabi’u Mahuta, said residents were particularly concerned because other housing estates in Katsina State have schools and other essential amenities.
He disclosed that the association had already appealed to Governor Dikko Umar Radda to intervene and review the situation surrounding lands originally designated for public purposes.
Mahuta said residents were not opposed to development or legitimate private investment but insisted that spaces reserved for public facilities should remain available for the purposes for which they were planned.
He said the residents were themselves preparing to establish a community school ahead of the next academic session.
However, he warned that without adequate land, the proposed school could face serious limitations in the future.
“A school needs room to grow,” is essentially the concern of the residents: classrooms may be constructed today, but without sufficient land, tomorrow’s expansion could become impossible.
Beyond education, the residents are asking authorities to protect spaces earmarked for a market, children’s playground and other community facilities.
They argue that these are not luxury projects but essential components of a functioning residential community.
A market would provide residents with easier access to goods and services while also creating economic opportunities. A children’s playground would provide a safe recreational environment, while properly planned public spaces would help preserve the character and functionality of the estate.
But another concern is casting a shadow over the community: security.
Mahuta said residents were also battling deteriorating roads and inadequate street lighting, issues which he linked to growing security concerns.
He recalled previous incidents of criminal activity within the estate, including an alleged invasion by hoodlums during which valuables were reportedly stolen and some residents sustained injuries.
He said similar incidents had occurred at different times, prompting security attention from the Katsina State Police Command.
For residents, poor lighting and deteriorating infrastructure create vulnerabilities that cannot be ignored.
They are therefore asking the state government to look at the estate’s challenges as a single issue rather than treating each complaint separately.
According to the residents, the solution requires a comprehensive intervention covering land allocation, education, healthcare, roads, street lighting, security and recreational facilities.
Their appeal is particularly directed at Governor Radda and the relevant government authorities to inspect the estate, examine its original layout and determine whether lands reserved for public facilities are still being preserved for their intended purposes.
The residents are also seeking clarification on the status of the allegedly reallocated plots and are urging authorities to prevent any development that could permanently deprive the community of essential amenities.
Importantly, the Residents Association has appealed for calm, insisting that its objective is not confrontation but dialogue.
Mahuta said residents remained law-abiding and were confident that the matter could be resolved through constructive engagement with the government.
The protest, therefore, may be viewed less as a rejection of development and more as a plea for planned development.
Sardauna Estate is growing, and its residents want government planners to look beyond today’s needs and consider the demands of the next generation.
Once such spaces are permanently lost, residents fear they may never be recovered.
That is why the residents are appealing to the Katsina State Government to act before the situation becomes irreversible.
Their demand is simple: protect the public spaces, preserve the estate’s original purpose and give Sardauna Estate the infrastructure required to support the people who call it home.
For the families living there, this is no longer merely a dispute over plots of land.
It is a fight to preserve the future of their community.
Abdullahi Inuwa Social Commentator +2348062255033, +2348062203330 ainuwa303@gmail.com
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