Residents of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi Capital City have lauded the state government for restoring regular public water supplies to Abakaliki and environs.

The jubilant residents who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki said that the restoration of public water supplies was a great relief for the people.

They said that this had become necessary especially now that there was acute water scarcity due to the dry season.

According to them, many residents before the full restoration of water supplies depended on water from borehole while most families who could not afford cost of borehole resorted to wells and other unwholesome sources for their daily water needs.

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Mrs. Agnes Onwe, a petty trader and resident, was full of joy and praised the state governor, Mr Francis Nwifuru, for prioritising water and other social services.

Onwe said that the last time she fetched water from the public source was during the administration of former Gov. Martin Elechi in 2015.

She noted that the recent reactivation of moribund public water schemes in the state leading to the regular water supplies had brought back the good memories of the former administrations of Dr. Sam Egwu and Elechi when water was the cheapest commodity in the state.

“I’m glad and grateful to our hard working governor for restoring public water supply. We last fetched public water in this area in 2015 during the administration of former Gov. Martin Elechi.

“But, shortly after the inauguration of the administration of former Gov. David Umahi, public water supplies ceased completely and people depended on borehole and streams for their daily domestic water needs.

“Those who cannot afford to drink borehole water resorted to sachet water and all these contributed to increase in cost of living in the capital city.

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“But, with full restoration of regular water supplies , families will now spend less of their income in buying water from private water sources that cost heavily,” Onwe said.

She further appealed to the authorities in the ministry of Water Resources to fix burst water pipes that had caused leakages and waste in parts of the capital city.

Another resident, Mr. Paul Idika, a public health worker said that the quick intervention of the present administration in the water sector showed that the government was in tune with the yearnings of the people.

He described water as one of the most basic infrastructure needed for healthy living, ascribing outbreaks of major tropical infectious diseases including cholera to the absence of portable, safe and affordable water.

“The restoration of regular water supplies to Abakaliki and environs is indeed a great achievement by the Nwifuru administration and we look forward to its sustainability.

“Abakaliki has been without functional water schemes making the people vulnerable to some of the killer communicable water-borne diseases such as cholera but, with the development, people can now get their water needs from reliable source,” Idika said.

He appealed to the government to ensure that all the water schemes in the state including the Oferekpe, Ezilor and the Old Abakaliki regional water schemes were fully activated to ensure 24-hour water supplies.

Some students at the Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Presco campus who spoke to NAN, said that since the full restoration of public water supplies, they now spend less in buying of water for their daily consumption.

The students who lamented the high cost of water from private boreholes said that they spend an average of N5,000 a week on water only.

Some of the students including; Messrs Fred Okoro, Ignatius Eze, Monday Elom and Miss Uchechi Okpara applauded the government for restoring public water supplies describing it as a ‘milestone’ and respite to the students who spent a chunk of their pocket money on water.

“Here, we buy 25-litre gallon of borehole water between N200 and N300 depending on the owner and availability of light from the public power source.

Also, a bag of sachet water costs between N400 and N500 depending on the product.

“Here, many of the lodges (private hostels) don’t have boreholes; so, on the average, as a student in a week you will be spending not less than N5,000 on water alone and this is not funny considering the state of the economy,” they said.

The students, who noted that early morning supply adopted by the ministry of Water Resources was negatively affecting them in terms of lectures, appealed to the state government to either make supplies run a 24-hour basis or extend the duration to accommodate students.

Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Chinedum Nkah was not successful.

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However, Mrs. Angela Nduka, spokesperson for the ministry said that the ministry was doing everything to reactivate the ultra-modern Oferekpe water scheme.

Nduka said that rehabilitation work on the Old Abakaliki Regional Water Scheme was almost completed.

“You know that we have water schemes scattered in Ebonyi; the Ezilor, Oferekpe and Old Abakaliki water schemes.

“But, for now, it is the Ezilor water scheme that we are delivering water to the public hence, not all parts of the capital city is getting supplies.

“The Oferekpe water scheme will soon be ready with the rehabilitation work going on there.

“In the Old Abakaliki water scheme, reconstruction work is equally going on and will soon be completed,” Nduka said.