When Governor Peter Mbah promised that water would flow into Enugu homes within 180 days, expectations soared. Nearly three years and over N70bn in water budgets later, many residents say the promise has evaporated, replaced by broken pipes, soaring tanker costs and deepening public frustration, reports RAPHAEL EDE
For residents of Enugu, the “Coal City” state, the sound of a rushing tap is becoming a myth, an ancient folklore told to children who now only know the rhythmic rumbling of expensive water tankers.
Despite over N70bn budgeted for water resources between 2024 and 2026, the reality on the ground is a parched landscape of empty buckets and broken promises.
From the hilly terrains of Ngwo to the densely populated streets of Uwani and Awkunanaw, the cry is the same: the government is delivering propaganda, while private tankers are delivering bankruptcy.
The 180-Day Debt of Hope
When Governor Peter Mbah assumed office, he made a daring, high-stakes promise: water would flow in Enugu homes within 180 days. To his credit, infrastructure works began, and for a brief moment, some taps hissed with life. But that life was short-lived.
Elder statesman and former Commissioner for Education, Chief Nduka Eya, who lives in the upscale Brown & Brown estate — a stone’s throw from the Government House —embodies the frustration of the elite and the commoner alike.
“I think I blame our people because when the governor promised to give water in 180 days, they were clapping, but no one asked questions,” Chief Eya told The PUNCH.
“I listened carefully; he said he would begin to deliver water. There was evidence that water came, but it stopped shortly because they did not do their homework.”
The frustration in his voice peaks when he discusses the disconnect between government claims and domestic reality.
“The last time his SSA on Media, Dr. Reuben Onyishi, came on a radio programme, he claimed water was everywhere. I asked him how I can make my house available for reticulation since I haven’t seen a drop in two years. That question has not been answered to date.
Propaganda is one thing; the trouble is they are lying to us, and our people are swayed.”
200% price hike
While the government battles with pipes, the “Water Generals” — tanker drivers — have seized control of the state’s economy. In January 2024, Governor Mbah told tanker owners to “look elsewhere” for business, as his administration would make them redundant. Today, they are more essential — and more expensive — than ever.
For Ejike Udeh, a resident of Meniru in Awkunanaw, water has become luxury that competes with school fees and food.
“I bought a 500-gallon tank of water for N15,000 last week. It lasts only three weeks for my wife, my two children, and me,” Udeh lamented. “The price was N8,000 to N10,000 last year. Honestly, the rising cost of water is giving me serious concern.”
In Uwani, the story takes a darker turn.
Chief Eze Lazarus describes a pincer movement where residents are squeezed by both the private sector and the state’s tax collectors.
“I have been buying 1,000 gallons for N12,000 before this administration, but today it has gone to N35,000. Not only that, the government will charge you for water and bring a Taskforce to intimidate you,” Lazarus said. “We are not safe from the hand of tanker drivers, and we are not safe from the government. They are giving us trouble instead of water.”
Budget of billions
The most jarring aspect of the Enugu water crisis is the chasm between budget appropriations and actual execution.
A deep dive into the state’s financial documents reveals a pattern of “big budgets, small taps.”
2024: The Ministry of Water Resources had a Capital Expenditure budget of N28 billion. However, between January and September 2024, only N3.4 billion was actually spent —a dismal 12.3 per cent budget performance.
2025: The budget stood at N23.2 billion, but the actual expenditure for the first nine months was a staggering N895.4 million—a mere 3.8 per cent performance.
2026: The government has again proposed N18.67 billion, including N8 billion for Ductile Iron Pipes and N1.5 billion for smart public toilets. Despite these billions on paper, the pipes remain dry.
Evangelist Agbo, a lecturer at Ebonyi State University and a resident of Enugu, describes it as a “the more you look, the less you see” scenario.
“Enugu people are not fools. I gave the governor the benefit of the doubt. I said, ‘Let us see progress.’ But in this whole thing, money is just being appropriated in billions, but you see little effect on the ground,” Agbo noted.
Geology or governance?
The government often points to Enugu’s difficult topography and high coal deposits as a reason for the failure of groundwater projects. While geologists agree that coal deposits make borehole drilling in the city centre a nightmare, critics argue that the solution lies in the massive Oji River and 9th Mile water schemes, which were designed to bypass these geological hurdles.
The 9th Mile scheme alone is supposed to produce 70 million litres of water per day, yet distribution remains the Achilles’ heel. Much of the state’s 90 per cent asbestos pipe network is ageing and brittle, leading to bursts whenever pressure is applied.
Ikechukwu, a resident of Gariki, believes the current administration is moving backwards.
“The governor promised 180 days, but even where water was running before he came to power, it has all stopped.
Are we moving or going backwards? They sell 25 litres for N300 now, and the government has imposed excruciating taxes on us while supplying nothing.”
Human cost
The scarcity is not just a financial burden; it is a public health time bomb. Residents who cannot afford N35,000 for a tanker are forced to rely on unregulated boreholes or shallow streams, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
For Miracle Ozioko in the Coal Camp area, even “pure water” (sachet water) is becoming a strain.
“I buy bags for my family, and it has gone from N300 to N350. The government water project in this vicinity has no head taps and hasn’t worked for over six months,” Ozioko said.
The government’s desperation to show results led to the sacking of 19 directors in January 2024 for failing to meet a N100,000 weekly revenue target from water consumers — a move critics described as “taxing a ghost service,” since many of those consumers had no water to pay for.
Way forward
Experts suggest that Enugu’s water crisis cannot be solved by propaganda or sporadic pipe-laying. A Public-Private Partnership model that focuses on the “last mile” reticulation—connecting the massive Oji River supply to individual kitchen taps—is the only way out.
Until the budget performance moves from 3.8 per cent to 100 per cent, and until the “Ductile Iron Pipes” mentioned in the 2026 budget actually find their way into the ground, the people of Enugu will continue to look at the sky for rain and at their empty pockets for answers.
As Chief Nduka Eya aptly puts it, “The governor may have a good intention, but in the execution, they will make a mess. He should go to Plateau (State) and see how others are delivering results.”
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