Corps members at the Lagos State orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps have complained about persistent water shortage allegedly caused by irregular electricity supply.
A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria
at the camp showed that inadequate water storage facilities and unstable power
supply had continued to affect the welfare and living conditions of corps
members.
Many corps members said they now wake up
as early as 1 am to queue for water before the start of daily camp activities.
A corps member identified simply as
Annabel, who was deployed from Anambra State, described the situation as
stressful.
“Sometimes we wake up at midnight just
to fetch water. If you delay, you may not get enough water to bathe before the
morning parade.
“After drills and activities under the
sun, everybody needs water, but the supply is usually insufficient,” she said.
Another corps member, Ibrahim, said the
shortage had forced many residents to ration water for basic domestic
activities.
“Some people skip washing their clothes
for days just to save water,” he said.
A female corps member, who identified
herself simply as Mary, said many camp residents often descend long stairways
carrying buckets and kegs in search of water.
“Even when water is pumped, it finishes
quickly because the storage facilities cannot serve everybody adequately.
“The water usually stops running by 3:00
a.m., so everybody struggles to fetch before then,” she said.
Mary also alleged that the rush for
water recently resulted in an accident involving a female corps member.
“One corps member fell while carrying
water and sustained injuries during the rush,” she said.
Some corps members noted that the
existing water tanks could no longer adequately serve the growing population of
camp residents.
“The tanks are simply not enough for
storage, as we don’t even get water on the 3rd floor. We have to go to the 2nd
floor.
“The existing tanks can no longer
adequately serve the growing population in camp,” a corps member said.
NAN findings showed that overcrowding,
poor storage facilities and irregular electricity supply were major factors
contributing to the situation.
Another corps member said she had
resorted to buying sachet water for bathing to avoid the stress associated with
fetching water.
“I don’t like stress, so I buy bags of
sachet water for bathing on most days,” she said.
Some food vendors operating within the
camp also expressed concern over the situation, noting that the shortage had
increased their operating costs.
One of the vendors, who pleaded
anonymity, said inconsistent electricity supply had affected access to water
needed for cooking and cleaning.
“The cost of sourcing water is affecting
our business because we depend on water for cooking and washing,” the vendor
said.
Some corps members, however, commended
camp officials for efforts made to ease the situation through water rationing
and supplementary supply arrangements.
When contacted, the Head of Information
and Public Relations Unit, NYSC Lagos, Mrs Omolola Aladesoun, told NAN that the
authorities were aware of the challenge, which lasted briefly due to a power
outage.
“We had a slight water shortage due to
power failure, but everything has been resolved.
“We also have a standby generator used
to pump water,” she said.
NAN
