*say an epidemic looms if nothing is done
By; VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
For several months running residents of Calabar, Cross River State capital have remained without good potable drinking water, the New Nigerian Newspapers Online can report authoratively.
The situation has resulted to residents trekking long distances in search of potable drinking water from owners of bore-holes.
The Cross River State Water Board has not pumped water into the taps for over seven months.
Residents most times wake up their wards as early as 5:am in the morning to in search of water and end up spending between N200 to N300 daily for domestic use before coming to school.
However when water is finally pumped and circulated, the colour usually looks like “the popular Lipton Tea” that is served in our various homes.
Worried by this ugly development, most residents have cried out to water board management to explain the reason behind the non circulation of water to the people but no explanation has been given.
It would be recalled that the Donald Duke administration had left the pumping of regular water to the people as a legacy. He will ever be remembered for regular water supply until recently.
When the New Nigerian Correspondent sought for the opinion of some residents on the water situation in Calabar, this is what they had to say.
A journalist, Mr. Emmanuel Ikpoti, simply said: “We are gearing towards a doom situation as far as water issue in the state is concerned”.
It is quite unfortunate that the rains has set up and people are now drinking rain water which is not treated and can result to an epidemic. How many people can afford to treat their water before drinking?
According to him “water is life. We use it for domestic and for industrial purposes”.
He called on the management of water board to as a matter of priority restore potable drinking water to the people. It is their right to have potable drinking water.
This he said will assist in averting possible water diseases or an out break of an epidemic.
Mrs. Glory Bassey, a civil servant, said ” the water situation has gotten off hand. We cannot continue to keep quite. The governor should do something in this regard to salvage the situation. We need clean water to drink and for other domestic usage.
She wondered why water which was regular before now had stopped. We are used to paying our water bills. Even now it is sad to note that they still share bills when there is no water in the taps.
Mr Donatus Akpan a businessman “decried the water problem in the state. It is a very sad experience. We don’t have NEPA light no potable drinking water at the same time.
The management of water board has failed in their mandate and should be relieved of their portfolios.
“We need water because water is life. We use water in our lives. So there is no justification to deny us the use of water, he declared”.
Also speaking, a three hundred level student of the University of Calabar Miss Uzoma Iheoma, retorted, “this administration is not trying when it comes to the issue of water.
She said ” we need water to wash our wears, bathe and cook as well as other domestic things. We can’t see the water”.
The state government should release funds for the treatment of water if this is the issue.
“We have been enjoying steady flow of water until these past months when the taps got dried. When the water eventually comes, “it is coloured like the rainbow”.
The management led by Dr
Godwin Igile, was alleged to have misappropriated 10 million dollars meant for staff training locally and abroad and has not accounted for it hence the refusal by the governor to release money for water treatment.
Attempt to get his reaction proved abortive as he was said not to be in the office.
