Scarcity: Jos water vendors, others hike prices

• LG boss orders price reversal

Due to the scarcity of water in Jos, the Plateau State capital, water vendors, as well as sachet water sellers, are hiking the prices of their products, causing worries among residents.

According to some residents, the water shortage was caused by the ongoing construction at the British – American flyover interchange. 

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Adda’u Usaini Magaji, a resident of Anguwan Rogo area of Jos North said prior to the recent development, he used to buy a bag of sachet water at the rate of N150 but recently, the price had increased to N250.

He said, “I used to buy a truck  for N200. Recently, I bought it for N500. I am telling you the price is a bit okay compared to other places within the city. It has not been easy for us but hope that with the coming of the rainy season, the price would be reduced drastically.”

Suleman Ismail, another resident of Anguwan Rogo, said he also used to buy a truck of water between N200 and N250 but now, the price had increased to N500 and N600 per truck.

Ismail explained that “It has not been easy these days for us because seeing the water vendors has become very difficult due to the scarcity of water around. When you see them, they tell you different stories on why the price has increased.”

Nangor Ndam, the Public Relations Officer of the Jos Water Cooperation explained the cause of the scarcity. He said: “There are two major reasons why there is no water supply in Jos metropolis. Lack of constant electricity supply at Water treatment plants has affected production and distribution of water to most areas within the metropolis.”

As the water scarcity worsened, the local administration in Jos North said it will go hard on any retailer who sells sachet water popularly known as “pure water” above N10 per sachet in the locality.

The council has also asked water cart vendors to stop selling the product above N400 per cart to consumers, adding that borehole owners should sell water to the retailers not above N100.

This was the resolve of the Executive Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council, Shehu Bala Usman when the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP), commercial borehole owners as well as officials of Water Carts Retailers Association met at the LGC secretariat in Jos.

Usman said he deemed it necessary to summon officials of commercial water supply and water producers to find a way to reduce the hardship confronting citizens.

ATWAP representative, Vincent Nwokedi said his group sells a bag of water at N150 in Jos North in consideration of the residents’ plight but sells for N200 in Jos South.

The commercial borehole owners blamed the cart pushers for increasing the price, noting that they sell the water to them at N50 per truck while in some places one hundred naira only but they, in turn, sell to primary consumers at between N700 and N800 per truck.