Corps members lament as water crisis hits Lagos camp

Participants at the Lagos State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp have decried a persistent water shortage allegedly caused by irregular electricity supply, forcing many residents to wake up at odd hours daily in search of it.

A survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the camp revealed that inadequate water storage facilities and unstable power supply had continued to affect the welfare and living conditions of corps members.

Many corps members told NAN that they now wake up as early as 1:00 a.m. to queue at functional taps before the commencement of daily camp activities.

Miss Annabel, a corps member deployed from Anambra State, described the situation as exhausting and stressful.

“Sometimes we wake up at midnight just to fetch water. If you delay, you may not get enough water to bath 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 for 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)

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