Changing the Narrative on Enugu Water Problem from the Root

Samson Ezea

Sometime in March this year, several social media platforms in their usual sponsored mob action lamented and mocked the Ugwuanyi administration over the perennial water scarcity in Enugu state that has been prevalent in the state for decades now.

Lacking information and knowledge, coupled with ulterior motive, they blatantly apportioned blames and threw tantrums to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s government for not tackling the challenge headlong. In short, they made it look as if the scarcity was a thing of today and the creation of Ugwuanyi’s government. Indeed’ the social media buzzed and the peddlers seemed to have a field day.

To put the record straight, I wrote an article then titled “Enugu Water Scarcity and Social Media Mischief Makers” where I went down memory lane to explain how perennial water scarcity has been part and parcel of Enugu for more than two decades due to the topography of the state, lack of competence/ sincerity on the part of management of the state water corporation and the failure of successive governments in the state to address the challenge from the root cause.

I reminded the public that Governor Ugwuanyi and all government officials need potable water like every other resident of the state, a major reason his government couldn’t have glossed over the challenge as was insinuated by some persons on social media.

Fortunately and coincidentally, this drama unfolded at a time, Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration had mapped out a comprehensive machinery and programmes to fundamentally tackle the challenge. But under the politicized environment, coupled with usual hypocrisy, the social media irritants glossed over Ugwuanyi government’s efforts in that direction as clearly unveiled and elucidated by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Water Resources, Hon. Anthony Dubem Onyia.

Onyia had assured residents of the state that the issue of inadequate water supply, one of the key challenges the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi inherited, will soon be history.

He maintained that Ugwuanyi administration is doing a lot, with the lean resources at its disposal, to address the issue of water in Enugu metropolis. He noted that some areas in Enugu metropolis, such as, Iva Valley, GRA, New Haven, Ogui/Asata, Uwani, parts of Achara Layout, Abakpa Nike, Trans Ekulu, Independence Layout and Thinkers Corner enjoy potable water supply, and reassured residents in other areas that they will soon enjoy adequate potable water supply.

He disclosed that the state government had commenced comprehensive rehabilitation of the 9th Mile Crash Programme, with solar powered boreholes to ensure adequate supply of potable water from Oji River, Ajali and Iva Water schemes to Enugu metropolis.

Onyia revealed that a contract of N600 million was recently awarded to FordMarx Nigeria Limited, for the rehabilitation of the 9th Mile Crash Programme, adding that the company has mobilised to site.

The Special Adviser explained that the contract which will be solar powered, to address the peculiar challenges of power failure, will boost the volume of water being reticulated from the ageing water schemes to Enugu metropolis.

He revealed that the state government had commenced the bid opening and evaluation meeting for new Okwojo Ngwo boreholes augmentation to Enugu metropolis.

Onyia said that the Okwojo Ngwo boreholes augmentation to Enugu metropolis, which is a network of 10 solar powered boreholes, is a newly conceived design which will help boost water production for the newly awarded 9th Mile Crash Programme.

“It will equally augment the existing water schemes in order to effectively manage and meet the demand of the growing population of Enugu metropolis”, he said.

At the managerial level, Onyia pointed out that Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration, in its determination to address the issue of water in the state, recently constituted the Board of Enugu State Water Corporation, headed by a foremost consultant in the water industry and the first Managing Director of the corporation, Engr. Innocent O. Diyoke, to vigorously drive the state government’s sustained programmes towards ensuring adequate supply of potable water in the state.

The governor’s aide further disclosed that the state government, in February 2021, advertised for the post of Managing Director of the State Water Corporation Board and has hired one to join the team for effective implementation of its agenda in the sector.

He further explained that the state government has also committed funds to the actualisation of FG Adada Dam Water Project in Nsukka, to guarantee its speedy actualization, stressing that Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration is not relenting in its bid to increase the sources of potable water supply, and to continue to maintain existing facilities.

Dissecting Ugwuanyi government’s efforts and approaches towards tackling the perennial water scarcity in Enugu, it is clear that the government’s commitment and determination is not in doubt or questionable. Clearly the government is determined, diligent and transparent in tackling this age long problem and requires the support of everyone, and not cynicism.

However, despite the above mentioned programmes and efforts of Ugwuanyi’s administration in addressing the problem of water scarcity in Enugu, the few who some never see anything good in Ugwuanyi’s government remain doubtful of his sincerity and commitment to the cause.

The cheering news is that Ugwuanyi’s government has proved the armchair critics and bookmakers wrong again. Just less than a year, the Ninth Mile borehole contract awarded by his government is nearing completion.

Speaking recently at the project site, the Managing Director of FordMarx Nigeria Limited, Dr. Clifford Nnaji, who is handling the complete rehabilitation of the 9th Mile Crash Programme being executed by the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, after over 30 years since the water project was abandoned, has assured residents of Enugu that the issue of potable water supply will soon be a thing of the past.

Nnaji who spoke on the extent of work done at the site, disclosed that the water scheme which involves the conversion of 13 industrial boreholes to solar power to ensure availability and sustainability of water reticulation to Enugu metropolis “is over 90 percent completed”.

Each of the rehabilitated boreholes is solar powered, to address the peculiar challenges of power failure.

Speaking further, the Managing Director of FordMarx Nigeria Limited stated that “we are getting more than what we expected in terms of the quality of water and soonest we will be rounding off”.

He assured that “water will be available at an affordable and sustainable rate because the rehabilitated boreholes are powered by solar as we will not wait for the grid electricity or diesel powered generator to pump water”.

He revealed that after servicing the 13 boreholes they discovered at the site, eight of them are now in good working condition stressing that there is enough potable water and they have seen more than what they expected”.

According to him, “the borehole can sustain more than the size of the pump we proposed initially. The borehole can sustain more than 100 horsepower pump. We had expected something about 500 cubic meters per day from a hole, but now we are getting more than double of what we expected”.

The contractor who listed other ongoing projects at the site such as perimeter fencing of 250 plots of land covering the facility, severe gully erosion control of about 15 meters depth and a security tower with CCTV cameras, commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for his unrelenting commitment to the massive water project aimed at addressing the challenges of water supply in Enugu, pointing out that the governor “is the man of the people who listens to the voice of the people”.

What a giant stride again by Ugwuanyi’s administration. It is hoped that those who took on Ugwuanyi’s government on social media early this year over water challenge in Enugu will be courageous, sincere and altruistic enough to peddle to the world the great achievements made so far in that direction.

*Ezea writes from Independence Layout, Enugu.