‘I Can’t Bath My Baby Because Water Board Cut Supply’- Young Abuja Mother Laments

A resident of Abuja has lamented the lack of water supply from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Water Board which has forced her to bathe her little infant with not more than a cupful of water.

The management of the water board had cut off supply to several parts of the FCT including Maitama, Asokoro, Garki I, II, Kubwa I, II, Airport, and Gwagwalada areas.

This was to allow emergency maintenance work at the Lower Usuman Dam.

A statement issued by the board said, “The maintenance work is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 10th to 12th January 2023. Consequently, there will be disruption of the water supply to the residents of Maitama, Asokoro, Garki I, II, Kubwa I, II, Airport, and Gwagwalada areas.

“In view of this development, the general public is hereby advised to store water for the period of this maintenance in order to avoid any inconveniences. The FCT Water Board wishes to assure its esteemed customers that water supply services will be restored on Saturday evening 14th January 2023.”

Mrs Mercy Edeh, who lives at Adebenga Adeyemi Street in Gwagwalada, narrated to THE WHISTLER how the lack of water supply was affecting her and her family.

She lives in a compound with 12 flats whose only source of water supply is a small 1000 litres water tank used to store water from water board.

She said: “I had to store up water in my baby potty, baby bath set, cups, and anything that could contain water. But I’ve exhausted all that by now.

“I have to economize water, and I bathe my newborn baby by putting him on my lap and sprinkling water on him instead of placing him into a whole bowl of water.”

According to her, she exhausted all the water she stored by the next day after the water supply was cut- off and has had to manage with little water.

“From the little tank we have behind, I have to go and save more water before people will finish it, because I have a newborn baby I have to use fresh water to bath. I can’t use water from the Well,” she explained.

Her neighbour in the same compound, Mrs Peter Sarah Binam, corroborated her story, adding that most of the residents had exhausted the water they stored.

” I was able to fill some small, small containers I have inside my house with water. In this compound, we are much, and depend on this small tank to reserve water and its already finished since Wednesday.

“Now we go to our neighbours to fetch water,” she said while pleading that water supply should be immediately restored because they have no borehole to supply them portable water.