File photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDue to the inability of the Kogi State Water Board to supply adequate water, the residents of Lokoja, are groaning as water scarcity bites harder in the Kogi State Capital.<\/span><\/p>\nDaily Trust reports that most residents are currently entertaining fears of an outbreak of waterborne disease as they source their drinking water from River Niger.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe treat raw water from River Niger with alum to drink to save us from sudden scarcity of water in our areas\u201d, said Baruwa Abubakar, a resident of Karaworo area of Lokoja.<\/span><\/p>\n\nThe Kogi State Water Board and the management of the main water supply outlet in Lokoja, popularly known as \u201cibro water\u201d refused to talk to Daily Trust when contacted, saying, they lack the power to speak over the issue.<\/span><\/p>\nDaily Trust learnt further that as the scarcity of water bites harder, residents who have been forced to buy drinking water from water vendors, popularly known as \u2018mai ruwa\u2019, at N400 per tin are now buying the same measure for the sum of N1,200.<\/span><\/p>\nAccording to a survey by Daily Trust, among others, areas hit by severe water scarcity in Lokoja includes, Angwan Kura, Karaworo, Madabo and phase 1 and 11 Lokogoma estates.<\/span><\/p>\nA resident of Angwan Kura, Fatimah Usman, lamented that they have been sourcing their water needs from the local water vendors for the past four years as the city water supply stopped in their area, adding that price hike by the vendors has worsened their condition recently.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe used to buy a truckload of water that contains 10 jerry cans for N250. But now, the water vendors have increased to it N750\u201d, she said.<\/span><\/p>\nIn the same vein, residents in Madabo area of Lokoja said the area of the city has not been getting water for years, stressing, \u201cso, they are not expecting any supply\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\nMost residents pointed accusing fingers at the Kogi State Water Board for selling water at the old waterworks to tankers and pure water manufacturing companies at exorbitant rates.<\/span><\/p>\nA local vendor, Mallam Umar Kuje, told Daily Trust that the city\u2019s water board and borehole owners have increased the price of water supply and they have to reflect it in their own service to their customers.<\/span><\/p>\nThe state Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Abdulmumin Danga, could not be reached for comment as he was not picking up his calls.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"..\u00a0 Due to the inability of the Kogi State Water Board to supply adequate water, the residents of…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[34,38],"class_list":{"0":"post-2320","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news","7":"tag-kogi","8":"tag-lokoja"},"yoast_head":"\nResidents Groan as Water Scarcity Hits Lokoja - Ebira Reporters<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n