Tessy Igomu

Despite the identification of access to potable water as a major factor in preventing COVID-19 infection, Eziama, a community in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, lacks access to clean water and currently depends on Idodo River for its water supply.

In a Facebook post by Mandela Washington Fellow, researcher, author, and founder of Haske Water Aid and Empowerment Foundation, Ms. Chibuzor Mirian Azubuike, alleges that the NGO has mobilised resources, alongside its partner, Hope Spring Water NGR, to sink “the only public borehole” in the community.

“This is as a safety precaution to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Azubuike said.
Haske, through its Facebook page, beamed searchlight on the agrarian community whose only source of drinking water is alleged to be the Idodo River.


A woman sieving fufu, a food made from cassava, inside the filthy Idodo River. Photo: Twitter
In February, Researcher on Environment and Food Security, Dr. Daniel Ugwu, via his Twitter handle, @dannyugwu, noted that Eziama community “has never had a borehole (private or public) constructed for them before, either by government or private organisations.”
Ugwu said, “The river serves as the community’s source of water for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing.

“Some members of the community walk several miles to get to the river, these are mostly women and children.

“The elderly, mostly women, who cannot come to fetch water from the river, have to pay young men with motor bikes to fetch water from the river for them (the faire ranges from 50-100 naira per 20 litres of water, depending on distance).

“The same water used for drinking without any treatment is where the villagers ferment their cassava (used for fufu production) for up to seven days and also sieve the fufu inside the river, all of which flows down to where they are being fetched for the purpose of drinking and cooking.

“The people of this community are faced with severe #WaterPoverty and their plight deserves urgent attention.

“This thread is not to shame or embarrass anyone but to solicit for intervention so that the beautiful people of Eziama can live improved and healthier lives.”

Haske says the socio-economic life of about 2,000 people in Eziama community revolves around the Idodo River, which provides basins for fisheries and is also used to ferment cassava by almost every household.

However, due to various activities carried out in it daily, the river can only be accessed in the early hours of the day as a source of drinking water, by which time sediments from previous day’s activities might have settled at the base of the river, Haske added.

According to aid agencies, 60 million Nigerians, or 33 percent of the population do not have access to clean water.

Reports have shown that poor access to sanitation and potable water are two major drivers of water-borne diseases and COVID-19 transmission in Nigeria.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control said over 50 per cent of people in many African countries are without access to basic water supply, even as frequent hand washing with soap and clean water is a major preventive measure against COVID-19.

The health agency lamented that people in the rural areas are the worst hit by the lack of access to water, adding that, “Preventive measures such as good hand and respiratory hygiene and maintaining physical distance are effective for preventing the spread of COVID-19.”

Despite Nigeria being a party to the United Nations Declaration of the Right to Water, which entitles every one living in Nigeria to sufficient, affordable, safe and acceptable water for personal and domestic uses, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, in March, said majority of Nigerians are still exposed to unsafe and contaminated water.

The ministry said available statistics were not favourable to the country’s quest of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6 for water and sanitation, noting that it had become imperative for all water service providers, including state water agencies and community water committees, to develop their drinking water supply system.

Again, a survey conducted by Nigeria’s Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF revealed that millions of households in Nigeria were yet to have access to clean water sources.

The survey also showed that while the supply of clean water in Nigeria has improved recently, three in 10 people still lack access.

The United Nations Children’s Fund said 73 percent of the diarrhoeal and enteric disease burden is associated with poor access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, and is disproportionately borne by poorer children.

“Only 26.5 percent of the population use improved drinking water sources and sanitation facilities,” UNICEF stated.

Haske Water Aid and Empowerment Foundation on its website said the aim of its intervention was to “continuously make clean, potable water accessible to all rural communities in Nigeria, especially now that COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need to take sanitation and hygiene seriously.”

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https://healthwise.punchng.com/enugu-community-where-residents-source-water-from-filthy-river/

envious afonjas, everybody is a millionaire in south east region. thats why their brother in NBS said south east is the poverty capital of southern Nigeria.
they can hate us but it doesnt change the fact that everyman and woman in south east re millionaires.

Okoro na udo...

There Governor is waiting for allocation from FG.
Na this same water dem carry dey cook okpa wey people from other part of Nigeria dey buy for 9the mile.

Jesus Christ.

Tho, I heard the current governor is a scam, he should do something about it.

This news is ok. But hat op is APC zombie.

Imagine a whole PRIDE OF THE EAST

That is not drinking water na.

Na Village swimming pool.

Tranquillity360:
That is not drinking water na.

Na Village swimming pool.

So you can enquire more than punch from your parlour? STOP SHIFTING GOAL POST.

Meanwhile for record purpose, NOTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN IN SOUTHWEST

ThatFairGuy1:
Imagine a whole PRIDE OF THE EAST

I know you will come here to hate.


Yoruba parents should stop teaching their children to hate on Igbos.



If you get brain you will know this is village swimming pool

But when they see their governors and other representatives they will be hailing them. It's not just the East.

Not a big deal..

As long as other regions have portable water, we in Alaigbo are okay

Why are water bodies in that region always looking red and dirty?? Like they sacrifice human beings and animals in them for their money rituals.

Tranquillity360:
That is not drinking water na.


Na Village swimming pool.

Common stop this...

I was expecting you to blame Tinubu as usual..

Tranquillity360:
I know you will come here to hate.


Yoruba parents should stop teaching their children to hate on Igbos.



If you get brain you will know this is village swimming pool

Nuisance that knows more than punch correspondent FROM HIS ROOM

ThatFairGuy1:

So you can enquire more than punch from your parlour? STOP SHIFTING GOAL POST.


Meanwhile for record purpose, NOTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN IN SOUTHWEST

Oga carry your hate for Igbos comot.
Did anyone talk about southwest here.

I have been to Enugu and i know they have many spring water.


The water you see here is lake,which villagers go to swim and wash dirty cloth.

helinues:


Common stop this...

I was expecting you to blame Tinubu as usual..

We are ordered to pity your skull,that is why you get mouth.

Enjoy your time.

ThatFairGuy1:

Nuisance that knows more than punch correspond FROM HIS ROOM

Mushin boy that think he knows east more than someone close to East.


Come Asaba let me lead you to Enugu.

Tranquillity360:
We are ordered to pity your skull,that is why you get mouth.

Enjoy your time.

Ordered by your lawd and savior Albino Kanu.

When a guy like Kanu is the leader of millions of people including Professors, who am I to argue with you...

helinues:
Not a big deal..

As long as other regions have portable water, we in Alaigbo are okay

Oshogbo boy like you



Alaigbo as you put it,no get zombies

helinues:


Ordered by your lawd and savior Albino Kanu.

When a guy like Kanu is the leader of millions of people including Professors, who am I to argue with you...

I will pity you because of your Obas and elders that went to beg Kanu to pity una skull.

Tranquillity360:
Mushin boy that think he knows east more than someone close to East.


Come Asaba let me lead you to Enugu.

It's normal. YOU MUST DEFEND YOUR POVERTY RAVAGED REGION

ThatFairGuy1:

It's normal. YOU MUST DEFEND YOUR POVERTY RAVAGED REGION

That is why we must buy up your richly region

OkoNDOoBo:
envious afonjas, everybody is a millionaire in south east region. thats why their brother in NBS said south east is the poverty capital of southern Nigeria.
they can hate us but it doesnt change the fact that everyman and woman in south east re millionaires.

Lies,


In igboland, we are all billionaires competing with Jeff Bezos. Enugu is a resilient city. It is developed than Birmingham city.


OP stop lying.

Na Tinubu cause am.

In the last picture, the guy with armless top Should be GHETTOKID1 or Enugupikin

So the Zoo has reached enugu.

Tranquillity360:
I will pity you because of your Obas and elders that went to beg Kanu to pity una skull.

Even ordinary FFk can not beg that small boy Kanu not to talk of Fayose..

Tell us something different oga Chukwudi..

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