SDP Decries Persistent Dry Taps in Abia Capital City

Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia

The Social Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia has taken a swipe at the state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu over his failure to restore public water supply in Umuahia the capital city after three years in office, saying that the situation has continued to expose residents to all kinds of water borne diseases.

Chairman of SDP in Abia, Hon Chidi Nwosu expressed concern over the sorry state of public utilities in Abia while addressing journalists at the party’s office after a strategic meeting with party coordinators from all the 17 local governments of Abia.

He said any government that could not provide basic amenities for citizens was not worth its mandate, noting that there was nothing to suggest that one is living in the capital city of Abia when the taps continue to remain dry.

“It is only in Umuahia among other state capitals that a 10 year old child has not experienced water flowing from taps and if you enter into the city at night it is like a ghost town because there are no street lights,” he lamented.

Nwosu said that public water supply remained the only means the common man could get clean water to drink without compromising their health but unfortunately people residing in the Abia capital have been condemned to depend on water vendors and pay for water supplied mostly from unhygienic sources.

He pointed out that people sink water boreholes indiscriminately even very close to sewages thereby exposing the source of water supply to contamination by human wastes hence the high risk of water borne diseases in the capital city.

“Typhoid fever is very common in Abia”, he said, citing a recent study which, according to him, revealed that out of 100 residents of Umuahia tested 80 were found to be suffering from typhoid diseases, thereby confirming that source of water supply for most residents is unhygienic.

Nwosu therefore called on the anti-graft agencies to investigate the ministries of public utilities and health in Abia state to find out how budgetary allocations meant for public utilities and health projects have been spent over the years. He said there was no evidence to show that the appropriations were judiciously spent.

“We will continue to shout about maladministration in Abia until remedy is found,” the SDP leader stated, adding that his party was poised to offer God’s own state the real people oriented government come 2019.