Water Crisis Persists in Ezimo, Enugu Deputy Govs' Community

Residents of Urukpa Ezimo, the home community of Enugu State’s Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, are grappling with a severe water crisis that has forced them to share their only source of drinking water with cattle.

Iyi Urukpa, the community’s lone stream, has served generations but is now polluted by erosion, agricultural runoff, mud, and human and animal waste, according to community accounts. 

Locals say the situation has turned into a health hazard, with children drinking from the same water where livestock wade and defecate.

Community members report that successive administrations had visited Urukpa with promises of potable water infrastructure, often during election cycles. Equipment brought for projects would leave soon after, they say, and interventions have not delivered functional water schemes.

One community leader, speaking anonymously, said residents feel “trapped between a government that remembers us only on billboards and political intimidation.” The leader alleged that thugs were deployed during a recent by-election to “thwart our collective will.”

An elder in Urukpa Ezimo described the community as landlocked, citing lack of employment and empowerment programs. He said that electricity in the area was achieved through community self-help. 

“My father and I contributed money for the electricity,” the elder said, disputing government claims of credit for the project.

He also questioned the distribution of solar street lights reportedly attracted to the community, alleging selective installation. “They would look at your surname before it will pass your entrance,” he said.

The situation has raised questions about rural infrastructure delivery in Enugu State. “If a community that boasts the seat of the Deputy Governor cannot secure a functional borehole, is the Deputy Governor a placeholder?” the elder asked.

Residents say they continue to trek to the polluted stream daily with jerrycans, waiting for promised interventions.

The Enugu State Government has not yet responded to the concerns raised by Urukpa Ezimo residents at the time of this report.