Residents of Kafanchan in Southern Kaduna on Thursday took to the streets in a peaceful but emotionally charged protest over the continued abandonment of major road projects in Kafanchan Wards A and B, accusing the administration of Governor Uba Sani of failing to fulfill promises made to the community during the 2023 governorship campaign.
The protesters, operating under the umbrella of the Kafanchan Youth Forum, marched through major roads in the town before converging at the headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area, demanding the immediate resumption and completion of road projects initiated under the administration of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “Our Future Is Under Construction, Don’t Abandon Kafanchan Emirate,” “From Blueprint To Reality: A Plea For Kafanchan,” “Kafanchan’s Promise, Governor’s Legacy — Finish The Project Sir,” and “Kafanchan’s Development Is Kaduna’s Progress, Complete The Project Sir,” the demonstrators expressed frustration over what they described as years of unfulfilled promises and worsening infrastructural decay.
The protesters lamented that the abandoned projects have left behind deep excavations, incomplete drainage systems and erosion channels that now threaten lives and property, especially as heavy rains continue across the state.
According to residents, several homes are at risk of being swallowed by advancing erosion, while stagnant water trapped within abandoned construction sites has created breeding grounds for mosquitoes and increased the risk of malaria and other diseases.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, the leader of the demonstrators, Bala Nuhu Kafanchan, said the road projects were initiated in 2017 during the administration of former Governor El-Rufai but were never fully completed before the end of his tenure.
He alleged that Governor Uba Sani had promised residents during the 2023 electioneering campaign that the projects would be completed if elected, a pledge he said remains unfulfilled almost three years after assuming office.
“The complaint here is that there is a project that started during Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s administration. The project commenced around 2017 but was not completed before he left office. Some roads were completed while others were abandoned midway,” Nuhu said.
“When Governor Uba Sani came to seek our votes in 2023, one of the promises made was that these projects would be completed. We voted for him based on that assurance. But since he assumed office, no meaningful work has been done on the roads in Wards A and B.”
Nuhu disclosed that residents had repeatedly engaged government authorities through petitions and formal complaints but said the efforts yielded only assurances without action.
“We have written petitions to the local government council, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Kaduna State Government. They responded and assured us that work would resume, but six to seven months later, nothing has happened,” he said.
He further alleged that the abandoned drainage channels have become death traps for residents, resulting in injuries and destruction of property.
“They dug massive drainage channels and abandoned them. People have fallen into these holes and suffered injuries. Some have broken their legs and hands. Erosion is now destroying our homes, and some buildings have already collapsed.
“Now that the rainy season has started, the situation is becoming worse. We are calling on the government to urgently intervene and save our community,” he added.
Another resident and activist, Aliyu Haruna, attributed the abandonment of the project to the alleged failure of the Kaduna State Government to release funds to the contractor handling the project.
According to him, the construction company, Farm Track Limited, gradually removed its equipment from the site after exhausting funds reportedly released during the previous administration.
“The company handling the project was Farm Track Limited. They started removing their equipment one after another until there was nothing left on site,” Haruna said.
“When we confronted the contractor, he told us that he had not been paid by the current administration and could not continue working without funding. According to him, all the money paid during El-Rufai’s administration had been exhausted on the work already completed.”
He alleged that no additional funding had been released by the current administration to continue the project, resulting in a complete halt in construction activities.
Haruna said residents of Southern Kaduna feel abandoned despite their support for Governor Uba Sani during the election.
“We are calling on the governor to remember the people who voted for him. Kafanchan is the commercial and political heart of Southern Kaduna. It is one of the most important towns in Kaduna State.
“Three years after taking office, we have seen nothing. We are pleading with him to fulfil his promise and complete these projects so that we too can testify that there is government in Kaduna State,” he said.
Another protester, Jonah Nuhu, a resident of Zaria Street in Kafanchan, accused the state government of completely abandoning the Kafanchan Township Road Project following the transition from the El-Rufai administration.
“The township road project has been abandoned since Governor Uba Sani came into office. We are appealing to the Kaduna State Government to urgently revisit the project before more lives and properties are lost to erosion and flooding,” he said.
The protest comes amid growing concerns among residents across Southern Kaduna over deteriorating infrastructure, delayed public projects and what many describe as inadequate government attention to critical development needs in the region.
As residents continue to demand action, the abandoned roads and drainage systems remain visible reminders of unfulfilled promises, with community leaders warning that further delays could worsen the humanitarian and environmental challenges already confronting Kafanchan and surrounding communities.