Senator Abbo Denounces Hardship, Laments, ‘We Now Ration Not Only Food But Water Too’

Ishaku Abbo, the senator who represented Adamawa North District in the National Assembly from 2019 to 2023, has denounced the current economic hardship around the country.

Abbo also decried the water scarcity in his home state, Adamawa.

The politician, who spoke during an interaction with newsmen in Yola, noted that in Adamawa State, where electricity supply has been unprecedentedly epileptic in recent times, water has become so scarce and costly to obtain that people now ration it the way they have been rationing food since the beginning of the prevailing economic hardship.

Daily Post reports that because of lack of public electricity supply and high cost of petrol to operate power generators, private boreholes from which vendors supply water to residents in Yola and other urban centres raised their water rates.

Abbo attributed the situation to failure of the Adamawa State Government to provide water, leaving the responsibility instead to private commercial borehole owners.

“Natural resources abound in Adamawa State, River Benue is one of them. The government should review the water distribution system,” Abbo said, noting that currently, one ‘push-push’ truck of water containing ten 25-litre jerry cans sells between N1,500 and N2,500 in the state capital, depending on the specific location.

“So we are now not only rationing food but rationing water like people living in refugee camps while we are sitting at the bank of River Benue.

“This is irresponsible leadership,” Abbo stressed.

Abbo who said it is not enough for Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to be building flyovers in Yola, advised the governor to redirect his energy to providing water for the residents.