Water Board Workers Decry Empty Taps

The staff of Abia State

Water Board have expressed indignation over the inability of government to provide potable water to residents of the state .for more than three years.

Residents of Umuahia, the state capital, have been without potable water as all taps are now dry.

Many residents obtain water from bore holes for their domestic chores while others fetch theirs from ponds and nearby streams.

The situation has reduced the level of productivity of the workers at the State Water Board.

Some members of staff, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, expressed dismay that the situation only made them stay idle in their offices.

One of the sources said the government seemed to have no viable solution to the perennial water scarcity , noting that the state government had to grant autonomy to the Board out of the hopelessness of the situation.

The source noted further that contractors had since been engaged in sinking bore holes that only wealthy individuals could afford .

“We used to go out to share water bills to residents but now it is only those who have bore hole that come around to settle the contractors.’’

The Acting General Manager of Abia Water Board, Mrs Lynda Alaribe recently convened a meeting to chart the way forward as she expressed concern over the dwindling productivity among the staff of the board.

Alaribe urged them to brace to the challenges posed by the water scarcity.

According to her, the government has ordered staff audit with a view to ascertaining the actual number of workers on its pay roll.

Alaribe noted that government was taking steps to restore normal water supply to the residents in the shortest time possible.