When the Adada River dam project was flagged off in 2011, residents of Enugu state were filled with joy. They expected that the dam will become a source of energy, create employment opportunities for the youths, aid farming activities, and at the very least, ensure the provision of potable water to their communities. But the joy and hope of 10 years ago have turned to frustration. JUDE CHINEDU, who visited some communities in Nsukka, Igbo-Etiti and Uzo-Uwani LGA which the dam ought to serve, reports on his findings.

IT was a sunny Tuesday afternoon in Nguru community, Nsukka LGA of Enugu state. Toiling under the sweltering conditions was Ikechukwu Ugwu, who had spent the entire day watering his pepper and tomato farm. He had stationed a tank in the farm from where he fetched water in a small cup which he applied to the crops. Ikechukwu is only able to do this with the help of his wife.

Ikechukwu spends a greater percentage of his earnings from the farm business to purchase water from vendors who charge N8,000 per tank. For a farming season, Ikechukwu buys 30 truckloads of water, amounting to N240,000. This has taken a serious toll on his finances as he now finds it difficult to take care of his family’s needs.

He said: “We get water from the tanker drivers who get it from the boreholes around Nsukka. Each load is between N8,000 and N9,000 and we buy over 30 loads before the rainy season.”

Ikechukwu is aware that the government was working on a dam just a few kilometres away from his small farm. He wants the dam completed so he can be relieved of the huge expenses and consequently boost the number of crops he is producing.

Dire as Ikechukwu’s situation appears, it is not peculiar. For Thomas Ugwu, a retired civil servant and native of Akachele Obimo in Nsukka LGA, the story is even worse. He can no longer afford to farm during the dry season because of the amount of money involved in getting water for his farm. Since his retirement from civil service many years ago, he had relied solely on the farm for sustenance. If there was a means, Thomas would love to cultivate all year round.

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Ikechukwu and Thomas’ plight mirrors the debilitating experience of farmers in other largely agrarian communities in Enugu North, known to have enormous fertile land for agriculture. But for this encumbrance, thousands of farmers in the senatorial zone are willing to engage in large-scale agricultural activities all year round.

Nsukka is one of the largest towns in Enugu state, with a population of 309,633, according to the 2006 census (though currently estimated at 1,500,000). Its ‘cleanest’ sources of water are from Asho, Ajie, Iyi-Nsukka, and Ikwoka Obimo springs located in different parts of the town. Nsukka is home to the foremost University of Nigeria and boasts of abundant human and natural resources, but the town is plagued by acute water shortages, which seem to have defied government efforts.

The springs are nowhere close to meeting the water needs of the people, and the only government-owned borehole is poorly reticulated and often not in use. Because of this, wealthy individuals now provide water for people by sinking boreholes and selling at very exorbitant prices. These water sources are mostly untreated and dangerous to the health of the people. Little wonder the people celebrated the award and subsequent commencement of work on the Adada River dam project in 2011 with much enthusiasm.

According to the Bureau for Public Procurement, the contract for the construction of the Adada River dam and associated works was approved by the federal executive council and awarded to an indigenous contractor, ROUDO Nigeria Limited, in 2010.

The cost of the project, according to the BPE, is N2,578,472,343.28. The project, expected to be built in three phases — damming, water treatment plant, and reticulation with a capacity of about 1.4 million cubic meters of water per year — was supposed to be delivered in 24 months.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/10-years-after-flag-off-n2-57bn-adada-river-dam-still-in-limbo/

This could have been an awesome project... But, as sometimes the case, it is a failed project!!!