•Benue residents cry out over scarcity, vow to keep vigil at well sides
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Water, according to the United Nations, is critical for sustainable development, including environmental integrity and the alleviation of poverty and hunger and is indispensable for human health and well-being.
But in Benue State, the situation is harrowing. The life, health and well-being of majority of residents of the state are currently hanging in the balance due to lack of access to portal water, especially in the dry season.
Indeed, the perennial water scarcity in Benue State has worsened, leaving residents in dire straits. Despite being surrounded by water bodies, including River Benue, many communities in the state are struggling to access potable water.
From Otukpo to Naka in Gwer West to Makurdi, the state capital, among other places, the story is the same as residents who spoke to our correspondent recounted their difficulties due to water scarcity.
Children, especially those of school age, are the worst hit. Many have to wake up early to fetch water before heading to school, while others are forced to skip school to help their parents fetch water. The situation has taken a toll on their education and health.
Roadside food vendors are also feeling the pinch. With the scarcity of water, many are forced to patronize water vendors, whose sources of water are most times questionable. This has increased their operational costs and in turn, has affected their profit margins.
Our investigation reveals that most hand dug wells have dried up in Makurdi and its environs following the dry season. However, one at Kighir community in Makurdi as well as the earth dam at Naka in Gwer West LGA, have remained a beehive of villagers seeking for water.
Our correspondent learnt that at the Kighir well and few others in some communities in the state, people keep vigil waiting for water to gather before they can get it. Kighir community is along Naka road, several kilometers to Makurdi town.
Dooshima Nyinongo, whose parents reside at Mobile barracks in Makurdi, said they are suffering from water scarcity as all wells around their vicinity have dried up.
She said: “Luckily, there is one in Adeke community. My siblings will leave at 11pm to the place and sleep there so they can get water and return by 4am to go to school.
“The well is owned by an individual. When you get there, because people are many, we have to wait; when the water level comes up a bit, the family will fetch before they will allow us.”
She further lamented that when they can’t go to the well, they buy water from vendors at N250 per 20 liters jerry can.
Another resident in Makurdi, Mrs Comfort Gbande, who hails from Gungu Mbaye in Konshisha local government area of the state, just returned from the village where she went to bury her mother in-law. She narrated how they left their village at dusk to the neighbouring community and returned at dawn, keeping vigil at a well side to get drinking water.
She said: “I went home for burial last week. We almost didn’t cook the food we went with because there was no water. We had visitors. We were told that in a neighbouring village, a man owns a well close to the river and it hardly gets dry. That was our saving grace.
“We had to hire some young people to assist us. They will go in the evening and return early hours of the next day because it’s not a journey you will make under the scorching sun.”
Mrs Gbande complained that it had been a yearly experience for her people as most streams and wells go dry during the dry season leaving villagers to suffer for water.
In Makurdi, the state capital, residents are forced to rely on private boreholes or buy water from vendors at exorbitant prices. Those resident in the new layouts including Nyon, Ugondo Layout, Yaikyor, New GRA, Achusa, Kanshio, have no public supply. In these areas, residents say they depend on the magnanimity of their neighbours who own private boreholes for water supply or they keep buying from water board.
Findings also revealed that in areas where there was public supply, including the Old GRA, Lobi quarters and Kwararafa quarters among other areas, their taps have been dry for over three months while broken pipes with water splashing from it are seen around the streets leading to the state Ministry of Agriculture and other areas.
A resident in High Level, Mr Emmanuel Ande, said he is currently buying a 4,000 litre tanker of water which was hitherto sold at N8,000 for N12,000 while truck pushers popularly known as “mai ruwa” have increased their price from N700 to N1,500 for 10 gallons of 20 litres Jerry can of water.
“This price may increase if you are living farther from the water board where the tankers and mai ruwa get their water from,” he said.
A resident in Lobi quarters, who identified himself simply as Tijani, also lamented the water scarcity, saying that their tap has been dry for months. He said: “For the first time in many years, a truck of water, containing ten 20-liter jerry cans of water is being sold from N800 to N1,500 by water vendors.
“This is Makurdi, the Benue State capital, yet morning and evening, you see women and children bearing basins and jerry cans, walking distances in search of water. The government needs to take urgent steps to arrest this situation.”
The residents were unanimous in appealing to the state government to come to their aid and solve their water needs.
Mrs Naomi Sunday, who resides at Railway quarters, said they were getting supply from water board but since December 2024, the water has not been available and we have been suffering.
Mrs Sunday, who was seen fetching water from a hotel far from her area, called on the state government to come to their aid.
“We need government to assist us. We are really suffering, especially this hot period. We need water to cook, drink, wash and bath. It’s not easy with us. My place is far and as you can see, the hotel has put off the tap to supply to their tanks for their customers. We are waiting, if we are lucky, they will open it but if not, it will be till tomorrow,” she said.
Twelve-year-old Miracle Bassey, who also lives at Railway quarters, also narrated to this reporter how the water scarcity is affecting her schooling.
“We are six in my family: my parents, myself and my three siblings. I come here sometimes in the mornings or evening to fetch water. On Saturdays, I come in the morning, afternoon and evening. The sun is too much, the water is heavy and sometimes I feel like dropping the container on the way to rest before I continue.
“After fetching the water, my head and neck would be paining me. When I get to school I feel like lying down on my desk because I would be tired.
“I want to beg the government to supply water to us. Coming here everyday is a stress. If we have the water running in our community, it would be better,” she begged.
Meanwhile, the state government has acknowledged the water scarcity and is taking steps to address it.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment, and Climate Change, Hon. Ugwu Odoh, said the government is working on a long-term solution to the water crisis. He disclosed that the government has signed a new water regulatory policy into law, which will open up the water sector to investors.
Odoh told Daily Sunday in his office: “The government is aware of the water scarcity, especially in some LGAs where the issue of scarcity bites harder, such as Otukpo where borehole can’t be sank at all. We have Otukpo, Tarka, Kastina-Ala and even Makurdi.
“The challenge with Makurdi is issue of reticulation because of urbanisation. The reticulation in Makurdi is restricted within the old settlements so we need to reticulate water to all new communities springing up but we are doing it.
“We are working on it. We are looking at a long time solutions and I’m glad to tell you that the Gov. Hyacinth Alia’s administration has signed into law a new water regulatory policy for the state that will solve our water challenges in the state.
“The water board needs to change into water corporation by the new policy among many other agencies and board that will come onboard to open the water sector for investors to come in and invest for returns in investment. By what government is doing presently, water will be available to all and it will be better for water to be seen as a commodity. The people will have access to clean water and the issue of water scarcity will be reduced drastically.”
He said for Otukpo local government area, the state government is making efforts to rehabilitation the two water works which had challenges. “We have been talking with the firm that built the new one and very soon they will be on site to maintain and hand it over to us. I can assure that within the shortest possible period, we will bring the water works back.”
He also stated that for Naka Dam, the state government in collaboration with World Bank through Agro-Climate Resilient in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL,) project, are also making plans to commence work it it. According to him, “the team lead of ACReSAL brought experts to look at it and any moment from now, the contract will be re-awarded.”
He appealed to the residents to have faith in the Alia-led administration as it is taking proactive action to solve the problem.
In what looks like a relief and good news, the federal government, last week flagged off three water projects in the state. The projects include rehabilitation and upgrading of the Buruku-Gboko Water Supply Project, rehabilitation and improvement of the Wannune Water Supply Project and Construction of the Ugbema Water Supply Project.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Utsev, during the flag-off ceremony at Ameladu, Gboko LGA, said the initiatives will significantly improve water supply, reduce waterborne diseases, and enhance the well-being of residents.
While these efforts are commendable, residents are calling on the government to expedite action on the water projects to ameliorate their suffering. As one resident put it, “we need water to cook, drink, wash, and bath. It’s not easy with us. We are suffering.”6&7.