Drinking water scarce in Otuoke

The Carter Center began an eradication progr .am to eliminate Dracunculiasis or Guinea worm worldwide in 1986. Since that time the number of cases has been reduced by 98% from 3.5 million to fewer than 55,000 today. If eradicated it will be the first parasitic disease to be eliminated without the help of drugs or a vaccine. Guinea worm is contracted when a person consumes water contaminated with water fleas carrying infected larvae. The Carter Center offers technical and financial support to national programs that teach village based health workers to detect the disease, prevent infected people from entering water sources, train locals to use nylon filters for drinking water and apply larvicide’s to unprotected ponds and water sources. Guinea worm is a painful and debilitating disease that can devastate a family or cripple a community. In 1988 there were 653,620 cases of Guinea worm identified in Nigeria, in October 2004 less than 400 cases had been identified. The village of Lefu was the most endemic village in Nigeria last year with 70 cases of Guinea worm this year they have had zero cases so far. Hauwa Kulu uses the river to get drinking water, wash clothes and to bathe. Since she had Guinea worm three years ago she now filters her water. October 25, 2004. ©Vanessa Vick

There is scarcity of drinkable water in Otuoke, the famous town of former Nigerian president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr Elijah Ateki, the Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa, said  lack of drinking water was the major problem in the community.

According to him, the situation is due to the pollution of rivers in the area by oil spilage.

He said the community had suffered inadequate potable water over the years, and urged the State and Federal Governments to provide the people with potable water.

“Otuoke community depends on rivers and now that all the rivers are polluted by oil, it is difficult for us to get potable water here.” Ateki said.

Emmanuel Agede, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in the area, expressed dissatisfaction with the situation and called for government’s intervention.

“You will not believe it that here in Otuoke, we use water from an unused suck-away pit dug near our lodge, for washing clothes and bathing.

“For cooking and drinking, we buy sachet water; life is very difficult here; we spend the bulk of our monthly allowances on water for survival.”