Despite investments, access to water still distant reality in Cross River

It is doubtful if majority of the population feel the impact of this massive investments in water as many still trek long distances in search of safe water.
In major cities of the state, thousands of households still rely on boreholes sunk at huge costs and others buy bucketful every morning.  Many more go to the streams and rivers surrounding them to wash and fetch for drinking and cooking.
More touching is the sight of the elderly women and school children even in the urban centres carrying utensils and basins on their heads, trekking long distances to fetch water when the children ought to be on their way to school and the elderly resting at home.
One of the women, Madam Mary Anselem, lamented that the daily trek tells much on her. “Since water is important, I cannot stop going in search of water daily. But our prayer is that our government should also come closer to us.”
In faraway local governments area of Cross River north like Yala, obanliku, Bekwara and Obudu, access to water by majority is still a dream even though the Ogoja water scheme has just been inaugurated following a N2.6 billion water contract agreement signed by the state government and a Chinese firm, CGC  Nigeria Limited, last week.
The job is expected to be finished in 18 months. The government hopes this scheme will help assuage water needs of these people.
The Commissioner for Water Resources Engineer  Etowa Elemi and the Managing Director of CGC Nigeria Limited Mr. Ye Sejiun signed the agreement on behalf of their organisations.
The commissioner who also serves as managing director of the state water board said the government has made conscious efforts to see that water is distributed and sold very cheaply to the people.
He, however, lamented that the cost of treating the water was not commensurate with the amount they sell. “Even at this, customers are still indebted to us”, he told journalists recently.
In the central and southern parts of the state where there are some body of waters, including lakes, rivers and waterfalls, the people have natural sources of clean water.
Yet, there is need for ongoing water schemes funded by government to reach them since not all live close to rivers and streams.
To address this situation, the state government, private organisations and the World Bank funded water projects which aim to reach more than half of the nearly 3.7 million population of the state.
A few months ago, Governor Liyel Imoke commissioned the N5.3 Billion Ikom Water Scheme which is now supplying water to adjoining communities and towns with estimated population of 350,000 people.
The N2.6 billion water project to be undertaken by the Chinese firm is expected to increase access to potable water and reduce stress the people go through to have water.
At the signing of that agreement, Imoke said: “Provision of potable water and access to water has been on the top of our agenda as an administration. It is our vision that if we can deliver on our projects to the people across the state, then, we would achieve the vision of making life easier and reducing poverty while improving on overall wellbeing of the citizenry.”
According to the governor, the World Bank assisted Calabar water scheme has become a benchmark for PPP projects, adding that the state was proud to partner it to ensure millions of Nigerians have access to water.
Imoke has announced that after the Ikom water scheme valued at N5.3billion which the state funded, there is going to be the second phase to be funded by the World Bank.
As a way of maintaining the water projects, Imoke said they are making efforts to ensure that they are managed under PPP to enable the benefitting communities partake in the arrangement.
He charged the benefitting communities to understand the importance of the projects and guard them against possible vandalism.
Chief Princewill Otu, a community leader in Calabar, commended the effort of the state government, stressing that it should be intensified so that those in rural areas can all benefit.