Water scarcity hits Ebonyi as sachet water dealers withdraw services

Residents of Ebonyi State are grappling with acute water scarcity following the withdrawal of services by sachet water distributors over what they described, as excessive and unregulated taxation.

BusinessDay checks revealed that the price of sachet water has surged sharply, now selling between ₦550 and ₦700 per bag, depending on the brand, thereby worsening the hardship faced by residents.

The situation has been compounded, by the scarcity of public water supply.

Emmanuel Nwibo, speaking to BusinessDay, a union representative, accused the Government revenue collectors (agents) of harassment and violence against their drivers.

He said that the government is not aware of the high taxation, which increased from ₦1400 to ₦8500.

“Revenue collectors not only harass our members over taxation, but they also beat them up,” he said.

He further lamented that despite several protest letters sent to relevant authorities, including the State Board of Internal Revenue and ministries overseeing markets and transportation, no meaningful action has been taken. “We started writing to the government since last year and we have acknowledgement copies, but they claim nobody reported to them,” he added.

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Emmanuel, explained that the Union’s decision was driven by safety concerns for drivers transporting water from neighbouring states. “We are not on strike, we are not protesting, but we have withdrawn services from Ebonyi, because we can no longer cope. The intimidation is much, and the mode of operation of the tax collectors has no formula or fixed price,” he said.

Describing the situation as chaotic, he alleged that tax agents operate arbitrarily. “The tax agent jumps out from the road to collect tax with his own receipt. There is no adherence to the gazetted rates,” he stated.

He called on the State Government to intervene urgently. “We want the Governor to step in and help us so that we can continue to service the state with water,” Emmanuel appealed.

Meanwhile, the impact of the withdrawal is already being felt across the State capital, Abakaliki, where residents and institutions are struggling to access clean water. The Abakaliki Correctional Centre has reportedly gone four days without public water supply.

Chinedu Nkah, the State Commissioner for Water Resources, said that efforts are underway to address the crisis. “We are doing a lot now to address the water challenges and the result will be impressive very, very soon. Thanks for asking,” he told BusinessDay.

Efforts to reach officials of the State Internal Revenue Service, including the chairman and secretary, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls.