Water Scarcity: Vendors take over supply of water in FCT satellite towns

Water vendors, also known as ‘mairuwa,’ have taken over the supply of water to some settlements in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Newsverge reports.

Newsverge correspondent`s visit to Mpape and Durumi FCT suburb, showed that due to non-availability of potable water, the vendors are using the opportunity to make quick money.

A water vendor, Adamu Yakassai, said he has been able to build a house in his village and also fend for his family from proceeds of the business.

He said he migrated to the FCT in 2010 due to unemployment, saying he was able to use his small savings to buy the kegs and trolley from a local fabricator.

“My brother introduced me to this business when I relocated seven years ago.

“I make an average of N400 from each trip of ten 20-litre kegs, I sell a keg for N50, I can decide to go 20 times if I want to.

“Although it`s not easy, but this is what I do to provide for my family,’’Yakassai said with the help of an interpreter.

He, however, called on relevant authorities to provide water for people in Mpape, saying some people complained of ‘no money’, adding that water is an essential need for everyone.

Another water vendor, Ibrahim Baba, said since the residents have been experiencing water scarcity, he used the opportunity to do some quick business.

Baba said he gets his water from a mosque, which had a borehole connected for people to make use of, saying he makes an average of N2, 000 daily from the business.

He said although he gets the water free, he had to still sell to residents, who had no means of getting water for domestic and other uses.

“My friends and l fetch water from the mosque and some private houses with borehole, we trek long distances to sell them to the residents, there are times that we sell above N50, because we also buy them.’’

Baba said that the business was a good one, adding that he has been able to provide for his two wives and seven children in the community.

A civil servant, Ms Enobong Abraham, complained that the lack of access to potable water has been causing untold hardship to her and people in the area.

According to her, she is fond of buying water from the water vendors even though the kegs are not clean.

“I don’t have a choice, if I don’t buy from them, where will I get water to use for everything I want to do?

“I know that sometimes, the water is always with particles, but we manage it like that; then we buy sachet water for drinking,’’ she said.

Another resident in Durumi, a barber, Chukwudi Emmanuel, said he spends a lot of money to get water for all domestic chores.

Emmanuel called on the FCT Administration to seek out ways of providing potable water for these localities.

He said the provision of good drinking water would help to reduce preventable diseases and deaths especially among children.

Newsverge recalls that the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, had said it was not the sole responsibility of the Federal Government to provide water but the responsibility of the state governments.

He said the Federal Government could only assist other tiers of government to increase water supply subject to availability of funds.