In the ancient community of Ogbodu-Aba, Udenu local government area of Enugu, residents are literally in dire need of clean water to avert looming water borne diseases.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the community, tucked about 15 kilometres away from Obollo-Afor, the headquarters of the council area has been drinking fifthy water from stream and river in the community, a situation that has raised much health concern.
Stephen Odo is a resident of the community. He told our reporter that ” since I grew up in this community, we have not had any pipe borne water in this community.”
Explaining further, Mr. Odo, a commercial bus driver stressed that ” during the time of Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, the former governor of old Anambra state, one of the community members in the person of Dr. Benedict Okwor was appointed the commissioner of Water Resources in the state. He built the only pipe borne water in the community.”
Narrating further, he stressed that ” unfortunately, the amenity did not function for up to three months. The water resource stopped function few months later. Since then, the community has been sourcing drinking water from filthy streams and river which is not healthy at all.”
Francis Ugwu is a resident of the community; he told WITHIN NIGERIA that ” we need at least 7 boreholes which made up the 7 communities we have in Ogbodu -Aba .”
According to Mr. Ugwu, ” what we have now is ogele ojo and ogele ulo n’ogbodu. We also have ogele Okwo in Onitsha Ogbodu-Aba. These streams are purely for drinking.” We also have Egwu and Ebonyi river. These rivers are for washing of clothes and other domestic purpose. Alternatively, we have well water which is not always good for drinking purpose. Again, during season, majority of these well dry up, leading to water scarcity for the owners.”
Findings by our reporter showed that community dwellers usually walk more than two kilometres to fetch water from these streams.
It was also gathered that sometimes herders take their cattle to these streams for drinking, resulting in the contamination of these so called “clean drinking water.”
Another resident, Raymond Onah lamented the situation, saying that politicians use this as a campaign tool every four years of general elections.
“It is very unfortunate that Ogbodu-Aba community, one of the ancient communities in Udenu local government has no single water borehole at this age. The community residents depend solely on streams and rivers for water supply.”
Lamenting further, Mr. Onah explained that ” at this age, many communities depend on potable water from boreholes, not streams and rivers which might have been contaminated. We call on the state government to come to our aid by providing potable water in Ogbodu-Aba community to avert cholera and other water borne disease in this community.”
However, all efforts to get the reaction of Commissioner for Water Resources, Enugu state, Engr. Ben Collins Ndu Jr proved abortive as his phone number was not going through.
