By Cecilia Odey, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Cross River is unarguably one of the lushest states in the country with its rain forest, rivers and grassland vegetation.

Bekwarra Local Government Area (LGA) of the state is rich in agricultural resources; its agri-based population is resilient.

However, one thing is lacking–access to clean and potable water.

To the average people living in the area, getting clean and potable water is a daily struggle.

From Gakem to Ijibor all in Bekwarra LGA and beyond, families rely on shallow wells, murky streams, and rainwater collection for survival.

The question on everyone’s lips remains: will help ever come?

For 56 year-old Ms Lydia Johnson, a mother of seven in Gakem, the journey to fetch water starts before sunrise.

“If we do not wake up early, the stream gets crowded; sometimes we wait for over two hours.

“At times, we travelled all the way to Abuochiche to buy water from Ushie borehole, using vehicles,” she said.

Her story is echoed across communities in Bekwarra, where children miss school and women suffer from carrying heavy containers over long distances to and from water sources.

Ogbago Idiku, a member of Gakem village, narrated her experience during her mother’s burial, where visitors who travelled home with her for mommy’s burial were denied of breakfast due to lack of water to cook that fateful morning.

Idiku said efforts to get some water the evening before the D-day was not successful.

She said she went as far as Benue in search of tanker to supply her portable water to be used during the burial without success.

“I know my people suffer a lot because of water especially during dry season but that burial experience was what I can never forget,” she said.

More so, Mr Ushie Ojim, lamented on the suffering of the people of Gakem and Bekwarra at large over potable water in the area.

Adams said families and the people in the community spend most of their days to search for water to cook, bath and wash as they trek long distances in search of water.

He called on good spirited persons to help the people by drilling boreholes in Bekwarra.

The water often fetched is unsafe; cases of typhoid, cholera, and skin infections are common at the local health centres.

Yet, residents have little or no choice as there is no help for them; this is a history of broken promises.

This is not a new problem; every election circle, politicians pledge to solve the problem; but no sooner than they were elected do they renege on their promises.

For those who attempt to do something, it is half-hearted.

In 2016, a borehole project was inaugurated in Otukpru-Bekwarra under a federal rural development scheme.

It functioned for only six months before the pump broke down; it was never repaired.

In 2021, a Cross River House of Assembly member commenced a water reticulation project that was expected to serve five communities.

Up until date, not a single household has seen a drop of water from those pipes.

Experts point to several root causes–poor maintenance culture, lack of community engagement, inadequate budgetary allocation, and weak monitoring mechanisms.

A recent WaterAid Nigeria report listed Cross River as one of the states with the lowest rural water supply coverage.

Experts say many water projects are carried out without proper feasibility studies or sustainability plans; once inaugurated, they are often abandoned, leaving communities worse off than before.

This lack of potable water has affected every aspect of life; health, education, agriculture, and gender equality.

Young girls, who spend hours fetching water, are denied their right to education; even as farmers struggle with irrigation.

Health workers report high child mortality linked to waterborne diseases.

“I lost my daughter to typhoid last year; if we had clean water, she would still be alive,” Mr Adie Eba, a farmer, said.

The state government seems to understand the dire potable water situation.

Gov. Bassey Otu recently signed nine bills into law and received a unanimous endorsement from the Cross River House of Assembly for his performance in his first two years in office.

The nine bills signed into law cut across critical sectors included the Cross River Water Supply and Sanitation Law No. 5, 2025 and the Cross River Fire Fighting and Rescue Service Law No. 4, 2024.

To this end, the Cross River State Water Supply and Sanitation Law No. 5, 2025, guarantees citizens’ access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

It also established a regulatory framework for the sector.

Policy analysts say the road to change must begin with honest governance and committed investment.

According to the experts, there is need for community-managed water schemes with trained local technicians.

They also say that solar-powered boreholes to reduce dependence on erratic power supply; transparent monitoring of water project budgets and inclusion of water access into budgets should be key elements of rural development plans.

In addition, international development partners and NGOs can play a role in addressing the challenge.

In all, stakeholders say the long-term solutions must come from within–strong resolve by the state government and responsible local leadership. (NANFeatures)

***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).