Wike-led FCTA blamed over disrupted public water supply in Abuja
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Abuja communities have been grappling with severe water scarcity for over two weeks, a crisis allegedly caused by a shortage of funds needed to procure essential chemicals for water treatment, according to sources in the Water Board of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Although water has started to flow in some of the communities, the pressure remains too low to address the demand. But the General Manager of the FCT Water Board, Daniel Salka, told our reporter that the problem would be fully resolved by Sunday.
TheNiche had gathered that the water crisis in the FCT was caused by alleged non-release of funds by the FCT Administration for the purchase of essential chemicals for water treatment and other consumables. But the General Manager of the Water Board said funds were not the reason for the disruption of water supply. “We are not the ones that buy consumables,” he retorted when asked about the claim.
On why the water went off suddenly, he responded: “Machines can have issues. And during the rainy season, valves have issues.”
The FCT Administration under Wike has been accused of neglecting essential issues affecting the people, including health, education, and water, while focusing on grand projects like road construction with alleged enormous returns.
Recall that FCT primary school teachers suspended their three-months-long strike over the failure of the FCT Area Council chairmen to implement the N70,000 national minimum wage and pay outstanding salaries and allowances. The strike action was called off after Wike intervened with a N16 billion fund to address the unpaid minimum wage arrears and allowances.
In September, FCT resident doctors began an indefinite strike but later called it off within days following intervention by the Senate. The doctors called off the strike after the minister approved their demands for salary arrears, the implementation of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, and the payment of hazard allowances, among other issues, with immediate implementation ordered.
Also, Wike-led FCTA has been blamed over the significant number of traffic lights in Abuja that have not been working. The absence of the traffic lights have been creating confusion and traffic congestion.
Just like the traffic lights that have been non functional in the FCT, street lights are also off, creating challenges for residents who face risk of accidents and robberies as a result of the darkness.
