The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Magnus Chinedum Nkah, has attributed the inconsistent supply of potable water across the state to persistent power supply challenges, particularly at the Ezillo Water Scheme, the state’s primary source of urban water distribution.
Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki on Tuesday, Nkah explained that despite significant rehabilitation efforts and upgrades across multiple water schemes, erratic electricity supply remains a critical bottleneck to regular water delivery.
“The Ezzillo Water Scheme is 100 percent operational. The challenge is not the infrastructure, but the inability to get steady power for at least eight hours, which is necessary to pump water to the Umuoghara reservoir,” the commissioner said.
He noted that the power line supplying the Ezillo facility also serves several densely populated communities including Uburu and Afikpo, which often puts a strain on the supply line.
The resulting instability, he said, hampers the consistent operation of the facility.
The commissioner disclosed that the Abakaliki Water Scheme has reached 80 percent completion, while the Oferekpe Scheme stands at 90 percent. He added that efforts are ongoing to expand reticulation across various urban centers.
According to him, pipeline extension projects are currently underway in areas such as Odunukwe, Nkaleke road, Mile 50, and the Centenary City, among others which previously had no water infrastructure.
Nkah further stated that water supply to some parts of the state is temporarily suspended to allow for uninterrupted construction work, explaining that resumption usually follows within a few days.
“Even if we have water, we sometimes pause the supply so ongoing pipeline work can proceed smoothly. Once we finish work in an area, we resume distribution,” he said.
Addressing water scarcity in rural areas, the commissioner announced that boreholes are being drilled across nine state constituencies, with a minimum of seven per constituency.
He said the state government is prioritizing hand-pumped boreholes over motorized ones due to high rates of vandalism.
He also confirmed the revival of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, inactive since the early 2000s, aimed at improving access to safe water in hard-to-reach communities.
In addition, Nkah said the Ishielu Water Scheme has completed civil works and is now at the stage of electromechanical installation and reticulation to communities located 11 kilometers apart.
The commissioner, however, decried the vandalism of public water infrastructure and encroachment by private developers, calling it a major setback to the state’s water expansion efforts.
“The water sector has suffered from indiscriminate building on pipelines and theft of infrastructure by scrap dealers. We appeal to the public to help protect these installations,” he said.
He urged residents to cooperate with the ministry by applying formally for connections, noting that it is not the government's responsibility to connect households individually, but to provide main lines on the streets.
Nkah also appealed for patience and dismissed criticisms circulating on social media, describing them as politically motivated blackmail.
“We should be measured by the resources available to us and what we have achieved with them and not by gossip or malicious narratives. No other sector has done more with so little,” he added.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the present administration to improving access to potable water across the state, stressing that Governor Francis Nwifuru prioritizes water as a basic human need.
