Abuja Residents Pay N3,000 Per Truck As Water Scarcity Hits FCT

Abuja residents have lamented high cost of water as a result of a week-long water scarcity being experienced in parts of the federal capital.

The shortage which started last week has brought pain to residents who have to part with N1,500 to as high as N3,000 for 10 jerrycans of water.

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THE WHISTLER gathered that water vendors popularly called ‘mai ruwa’ who sell water in trucks have since taken advantage of the scarcity by increasing the price of a truck of 10 jerrycans from about N500 to as high as N3,000.

On Thursday, our reporter visited some parts of Kubwa to speak to residents on their predicament. Below is what they had to say.

Mr. Godwin Johnson who stays in phase 2, site 1, said: “The issue is terrible, yes we agree that they announced it but they should have made possible options to ensure that we are not stranded.”

“Since Saturday I have been buying from Mai ruwa and they sell a truck of 10 kegs for 1,500. Between Saturday and today I have bought three trucks. it’s not funny they should try to resolve this and save us pain.”

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One Jacob in the Federal Housing area told our correspondent that, “it’s not easy for me because it’s just me and my wife and I can’t stand seeing her walk a long distance to fetch water so I settled for Mai ruwa.”

Asked how much he buys a truck of water, he said, “This morning I had to buy at N3,000. After begging them to sell at N2000, they bluntly refused and told me that I don’t need water.”

Miss Joy Akande who runs a beauty salon in Phase3 said: “When this issue started on Saturday I had to buy from Mai ruwa at N2,500 to fill my drum so that I can still retouch and wash my customers hair. But On Monday when I called mai ruwa to refill, he told be the truck goes for N2,700. There and then I accepted my faith and closed my shop till whenever they restore it.”

One of the water vendors (Mai ruwa), Adamu Aliyu, who spoke to our correspondent in pidgin, said: “I dey go fetch this water from borehole for Dutse every morning and I no go sell am pass N2000.”

Our findings indicate that not only Kubwa residents were affected by the water scarcity as the residents of Apo, Ushafa, Dutsen Alhaji, Area one, Garki and Durumi were also affected.

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Miss Hanatu Joses, who stays in Apo, said: “Since Saturday morning we haven’t had water. But every morning we fetch from my Dads office in Central area. Surprisingly they brought it around 2am this morning and we were able to fill our empty buckets, but they’ve taken it back. And it’s very annoying”

Meanwhile, the Abuja Water Board management has attributed the water scarcity to an ongoing repair works on its trunk line at the Lower Usuma Dam water treatment plant 3 and 4 in Ushafa.

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