INSECURITY, WATER SCARCITY: DOUBLE TRAGEDY FOR NAKA TOWN
By Tim Cuttings Agber
What is today known as Naka Town started as Abi Yagba Market until in 1932 when Uche Kongo wanted to helm in the Holy Ghost fathers to establish a school in his Hamlet and boost his Market. The Whites couldn’t move beyond Abi Yagb’a house due to the prevailing forces of the day. That’s by the way, but it was on that account that eventually the St. Theresa’s Primary School was established in the name of Naka Aboho. The Abi Yagba Market and the Primary School both grew to be known today as Naka, which serves as the Headquarters of Gwer West Local Government Area, created in 29th September,1991 under the Military Regime of Ibrahim Babangida.
What brought such frustrating unrest to the good people of Tyôshin is difficult to explain, but it has thrown the people into perennial unprovoked attacks perpetrated by the Fulani herders. Years of attacks by Fulani invaders in neighbouring communities have led to a massive influx of people into Naka Town, aggravating the already dire water scarcity situation in the area, especially now that the dry season is showing its fangs. It is important to put our readers on notice that, of the entire Council Wards in Mbakpa District, the seven Council Wards have moved to Naka in the wake of repeated herdsmen’s attack, like Birnanwood moving to Dunsinane in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Mbakpa is an independent State Assembly Constituency, formerly represented at the State Assembly by Chief Padopas Dooga Awunah of blessed memory, Mbakpa is also a proposed Local Government Area out of the present Gwer-West Local Government Area. I am boring the reader with this history in order to show how impossible it is for just one or two sources of water to contain the population in Naka Town today.
According to residents, the Naka Earth Dam, the only source of water in the area, is gradually being filled with sand that comes from the debris of burnt bricks on its banks as burnt bricks are the source of building blocks for Gwer-West people, leaving thousands of people without access to clean water. The Naka Dam was constructed by the Benue State Government in 1986 under Governor Ishaya Bakut. It will be recalled that since the commencement of the construction of Taraku-Naka-Agagbe Road, which has been on since 2011, the Naka Earth Dam has been the source of water for the contractor, PW. It has also been a source of water for the contractors of the road from Adoka to Naka. All these activities have converged to put a strain on the Naka Dam.
One would wonder why Amee Yôngo Aboki was ranting when the situation was not yet as bad as it is today in Naka Town. Amee, a Tiv Folksinger born on 18th August, 1918 was buried in 2022. The oral poet, who began singing in 1932, in one of his songs, calls on his song patron, Abiem Zugu Kunde, telling him “This is how the world or situation is, that no one is safe.” Abiem Zugu Kunde Vambe ka pe Tar u lu ve or môm á war ga je ne.” Well, as noted earlier, herdsmen attacks have forced many rural farming communities to flee their homes and seek refuge in Naka town. The resulting population surge has put immense pressure on the town’s limited resources, including water.
“We are facing a serious water crisis here,” said Mrs Theresa Misa, a resident of Naka town. “The earth dam is drying up, and we don’t know where to get good water from. We are calling on the government to come to our aid.”
Local leaders are urging government representatives from the area to convey the people’s plight to the government at the centre, seeking immediate relief and long-term solutions to the water scarcity crisis.
“We need the government to act quickly to address this crisis,” said Chief Michael Mlan, a community leader in Naka. “We can’t afford to wait any longer. Our people are suffering, and we need help now.”
The Benue State government has been called upon to provide emergency relief, including water supply to alleviate the suffering of this host community that is been overburdened by numerous IDPs.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, residents of Naka town are holding their breath, hoping that the government will respond promptly to their pleas for help.
In any case, it appears that Earth Dam is the best alternative water supply in Naka area as there have been attempts to sink boreholes but none could produce a drop of water.
