By Our Reporter
Residents of Ebu in Oshimili North Local Government Area have raised alarm over what they described as decades of neglect by successive governments following the continued absence of pipe-borne water and functional boreholes in the agrarian community.
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For more than three decades, the people of Ebu have reportedly depended on unsafe stream water believed to be contaminated, exposing residents to serious health challenges and recurring threats of waterborne diseases, including cholera.
Community members lamented that despite the importance of water as a basic human necessity, residents still fetch water from streams used by their forefathers decades ago, even as concerns continue to mount over the safety of the water sources.
Speaking on the situation, a community stakeholder, Moses Chiedu Ayika, decried what he described as the total neglect of Ebu Community in rural water development programmes despite the existence of government agencies such as the Delta State Ministry of Water Resources and the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency.
According to him, the community has not benefited from any meaningful water project, including intervention programmes supported by international development partners such as the World Bank and the European Union.
This is the 21st century, yet we are still drinking from streams our forefathers used decades ago,” a concerned resident lamented. “The difference now is that the water is no longer safe.
Residents noted that the situation has become more worrisome because Ebu, known for its strong agricultural activities and contribution to food production in Delta State, still lacks access to clean and potable water.
Women, children and farmers are said to travel long distances daily in search of water for domestic use, a development many residents say has compounded the hardship faced by families in the area.
The community is now appealing to the Delta State Government and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently intervene by declaring a state of emergency on water infrastructure in the community.
Residents stressed that the provision of boreholes and safe drinking water would go a long way in improving public health and reducing the risk of disease outbreaks in the area.
We are not asking for too much — just clean water to drink and other basic development, another resident, Tony Idowu, stated. “Ebu should not be erased from the development map of Delta State simply because we are a rural community.
As concerns continue to grow, stakeholders warned that the prolonged neglect of the community’s water challenges could escalate into a major public health crisis if urgent action is not taken.
For the people of Ebu, access to clean water is no longer just a development issue, but a matter of survival and human dignity.