An official of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, FMWH, on Friday charged communities in Gombe state, to ensure proper maintenance of 550 projects executed in their communities between 2018 and 2019.

Dr Aisha Ndayako-Mohammed, the Director of Special Projects Unit, SPU, of the ministry stated this in an interview in Kanawa community, Yamaltu-Deba local government area of the state on Friday.

Speaking after inspecting some of the projects, she said that there was need for communities to ensure good maintenance culture so that those projects would serve their purpose for the benefit of the people.

Ndayako-Mohammed who was represented by Mr Idris Gaya, Deputy Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, SPU said that the projects were executed to alleviate poverty as well as provide succour to beneficiaries in rural and urban centres.

“In line with the efforts of the Federal government to bring good governance to Nigerians, these projects have been executed to provide comfort to communities, hence the projects should be owned up by these communities.

“Maintenance is key as this will ensure that there is value for money spent. This is why we are also sensitising to these communities to if possible form a committee to maintain the projects,” she said.

She stated that the essence of the projects was in line with the priority of government to enhance the living standards of Nigerians while reducing poverty through the executed interventions projects.

Ndayako-Mohammed listed some of the executed projects to include 12 classroom blocks, four maternity healthcare centres, two community town halls, six boreholes, over 532 solar street lights and one road.

“These are projects that would have direct bearing on Nigerians and specifically these communities in Gombe state and interestingly Gombe state have many projects executed in several communities,” she said.

According to her, the need for sustainability was part of the reasons officials of SPU were engaging all stakeholders on the state of the executed projects to ensure proper usage.

Malam Mohammed Omar, the head teacher of Kanawa Primary School said that the project (classroom) had assisted pupils, adding that prior to the project some pupils were being taught under trees because of inadequate classrooms.

“Since this project came, our pupils now stay in decent classrooms with good chairs and desks and this has encouraged many to come back to school in this community.

“We have about 700 pupils and before now the population would have been occupying the 8 classrooms we had before but now we have 15 which is better for the pupils,’’ the head teacher stated.

Omar while commending the federal government, however, appealed for more support in providing water tanks to store water and promote hygiene in the school.