Water scarcity hits elite Yobe community, residents lament neglect
Water scarcity hits elite Yobe community, residents lament neglect
Residents of Commissioners’ Quarters in Damaturu have lamented severe water shortages after a generator powering a key public borehole broke down, as water scarcity hits elite neighbourhood in the state capital.
The residents said the situation has persisted for about a month, forcing many households to depend on private boreholes and water vendors for survival.
Commissioners’ Quarters, located within the Diop Estate axis of the capital houses several top government officials and security chiefs.
Among residents of the area are the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Commissioner of Police, state commissioners and a member of the House of Representatives.
Some residents described the situation as worrisome, saying it reflected the growing pressure on public water infrastructure within the state capital.
Baba Wuro, operator of the Borehole DA 48 serving the community, said the faulty generator has been in use for more than 20 years.
According to him, the borehole was constructed during the administration of late Sen. Bukar Abba Ibrahim, the former state governor.
“The generator is as old as the borehole itself.
“It was commissioned the same day with the Yobe State Islamic Centre,” he said.
Malam Abdulazeez Ibrahim, one of the community elders, said residents had become frustrated over the prolonged water shortage.
He said some youths had proposed a protest before elders intervened and opted to engage officials of the Yobe State Water Corporation peacefully.
“A lot of residents were angry and wanted to demonstrate over the situation but as elders, we calmed them down and promised to channel their complaints appropriately,” Ibrahim said.
He commended some residents with private boreholes for assisting neighbours with water supply as such interventions helped to reduce the suffering faced by residents.
“Otherwise, the situation could have become a disaster in the community,” he said.
Another resident, Malam Baba Karami, recalled that residents had previously complained to the corporation over the poor condition of the borehole.
He said the facility had become overstretched due to the increasing population in the area.
Karami added that some residents occasionally contributed money to purchase engine oil for the generator to prevent a total breakdown.
An anonymous source at the office of the General Manager of the Yobe State Water Corporation alleged that several complaints on similar challenges had earlier been forwarded to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
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The source, however, claimed that no action was taken on the requests.
Speaking on the development, Hussaini Adamu, Director of Technical Services at the Yobe State Water Corporation, said the agency was managing more than 100 boreholes within Damaturu and surrounding communities.
He said maintaining the facilities with limited resources remained difficult.
Adamu said the corporation had already procured a block engine and crankshaft for the repair of the generator powering Borehole DA 48.
He said that the remaining parts needed for the repairs, including bearings and pistons, were available locally.
According to him, the generator will be repaired before the forthcoming Eid al-Kabir celebrations.
“Very soon, before the Sallah festival, the generator will be fixed and the borehole will resume operation to provide enough water for residents,” he said.
Adamu commended residents for adopting dialogue instead of confrontation in presenting their grievances.
Meanwhile, some residents expressed concern that if a strategic and high-profile community within the state capital could face such hardship, rural communities without influential residents might be experiencing more severe conditions.
They also said that many communities within the Damaturu metropolis were currently battling varying degrees of water scarcity.
