For about 40 years, a community in Ogun State has as its only source of water a stagnant stream infested with harmful bacteria and fungi.
SODIQ OJUROUNGBE writes on the painful ordeals of the residents, whose clamour for access to potable water has remained a forlorn dream, amid suffering from water-borne diseases, with their accompanying complications.
In the wee hours of one Sunday morning, Bolanle Olaifa, 24, suddenly fell ill and by afternoon, as the unknown ailment sank its fangs deeper into her, she looked wasted in the presence of her worried family members, who had no idea what could be wrong with her.
Bolanle suffered from bouts of severe stomach cramps, vomited and stooled consistently, while her body temperature was scalding hot.
Her hapless parents, at a point, administered to her an unspecified amount of herbal concoctions, which only worsened the symptoms.
As life ebbed out of Bolanle and her wails of pain gradually became silent whimpers, her parents were left with no choice but to take her to Fidiwo Primary Healthcare Center, which was approximately an hour’s drive from the Bamgbade community, in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, for treatment.
Bolanle was admitted, administered drugs for stability and transferred to the Owode General Hospital, where she was diagnosed with dysentery.
Bolanle’s aunt, Elizabeth Adedeji, while recalling the incident, told Reportr Door Healthwise that at the hospital, they were informed by the doctor that her illness was caused by the regular consumption of contaminated water.
The woman said Bolanle was lucky to get prompt medical attention, noting that many Bamgbade residents, especially children, have not been that lucky, as they fall sick regularly, with some losing their lives.
She, however, said she suspected the stream in the community, which had been the only source of water that they drink, cook with and use for all other sundry household activities.
“I am sure this is responsible for my niece’s sickness,” she claimed.
Burdened with a stream of death
Bamigbade, where Bolanle lives with her parents is an agrarian community located just two kilometres from the ever-busy Lagos–Ibadan expressway.
Though not much modernity could be found in this somewhat sleepy place, the people appeared contended with their living style.
However, amid this, one thing they crave badly is clean water. Residents lamented that despite the community’s existence for more than 40 years, they have not enjoyed the luxury of having access to potable water.
According to them, their survival has been hinged on the only source of water, a stagnant stream which they nicknamed Baba Green River.
The stream sits idly under a giant tree, surrounded by decaying vegetation. It needs no scientific evidence to prove that it is a behest of fungal and bacterial activities.
Standing a stone’s throw away from the cloudy stream, our correspondent’s nose was greeted by a whiff of stench carried by the wind from the water’s surface.
While the level of contamination from the only source of water supply in the community remained unknown, the residents claimed that Baba Green River had been like this for as long as they can remember.
A stream of deaths
It was, however, ironic that they knew the stream was contaminated, which had led to several deaths, yet continued to drink from it.
When our correspondent visited the community, he took time to go around the perimeter of the stream and noticed that it had no known source and was stagnant.
He further observed that the residents use metal and plastic buckets to fetch the cloudy water, after which they pour alum ( a chemical compound for purifying water) in an attempt to clean and have floating particles settled at the base before the water is used.
Children also seen at the stream used their containers to disperse leaves from the surface of the water before scooping.
Meanwhile, Reportr Door Healthwise learnt that there is a good source of water, the Odo-Ona River, which flows from Oyo State, which could have provided succour for the community but had turned brown and unfit for consumption due to flooding years back.
Deep in water sanitation quagmire
Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is a fundamental human right and a key determinant of one’s health and well-being.
An international non-governmental organization that focuses on water, sanitation, and hygiene, WaterAid, however, said Nigeria is among the nations that have major difficulties in providing these fundamental services to its population.
According to the NGO’s information sheet, more than 60 million people in Nigeria lack access to a basic clean water supply, forcing them to rely on contaminated water sources including ponds, rivers, and lakes.
The World Health Organisation in a report noted that contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio.
The global health organisation stressed that absent, inadequate, or inappropriately managed water and sanitation services expose individuals to preventable health risks.
WHO revealed that about 829, 000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea as a result of unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hand hygiene.
While noting that diarrhoea is largely preventable, the health organization maintained that the deaths of 297, 000 children aged under 5 years could be avoided each year if the risk factors were addressed.
Plagued by waterborne disease
75-year-old, Kehinde Obawemimo is the head of Bamgbade community. When our correspondent visited him, he sat piteously on an ancient-looking carved chair beside his house.
Speaking with Reportr Door Healthwise, the fair-complexioned septuagenarian, lamented that his people have been suffering from unexplainable illnesses.
He said some residents had gone to the hospital to express their concerns about recurrent illnesses in the community but were told the stream was responsible.
The community head, while noting that a considerable number of avoidable deaths and illnesses have occurred due to lack of access to basic necessities like clean water and healthcare, said water-borne illnesses had plagued the community for long.
He said, “We experience a lot of unexplained ailments. At first, we did not know it was the water that was making us sick, but after frequent visits to the hospital by many of my people, we were told that the water is harmful.
“We have always assumed that our woes could be a result of measles or other things. For years, we have seen people’s bodies change suddenly and some will just start stooling, while others would be vomiting blood. Many have complained of stomach pain but we never knew it was caused by water from the stream.
“Years back, someone built a well for the community, but the water dried up after a while. Now, there is no water inside. The only option we have is to still use water from the stream.”
Corroborating the community leader’s claim, Adedeji, who is also known as Iya Foto, expressed regret that people still drink the water despite being aware of the health risk.
She noted that some residents have developed terrible rashes and always itched their bodies after having a bath.
Recounting her recent experience, Adedeji said she dreads having a bath and likened her ordeal after using a bucket of water from the stream to being bathed with a seed known as devil’s bean or velvet bean, but popularly known in Yorubaland as werepe.
She said, “Each time I use the water, my body would itch badly. I have to manage, despite the fact that the water is not good for my body. There is no alternative.
“When I fetched the water days back and saw how it looked, I was concerned, but I didn’t have any other choice. I went to the hospital when I had a serious skin reaction and was stooling blood. The doctor warned me to stop using the water, but there is no other water for me to use.
“If we decide to go and fetch water from the neighbouring community, it will take between 40 minutes to one hour to get there.
“There is an insect in that water that we know would have infected it. The insect is a very big one, but we can’t do anything about it.
Adedeji, expressed more concern over the health of children within the community, saying, “I am worried about the children. I know they will be experiencing different reactions, but can’t express themselves.
As our correspondent was still speaking with her, a boy who seemed to be running an errand was seen scratching rashes that had become open sores on his buttocks.
Looking concerned, the woman said many children are experiencing similar body irritation and wounds.
“It has become a part of the community. It is what we see regularly,” she said gloomily.
Long trek for water
A resident, Muheebi Soronke, said another alternative left for residents that cannot use water from the stream is to walk 15 kilometres to Eleruja, a neighbouring community to get clean water.
He disclosed that sometimes, after eating at home, he usually rides on his motorcycle to the community to get clean water to drink.
He said, “Our condition is pathetic. We have to either use that water or travel for a long distance to get water. It is easy for me to get water from Eluruja because I have a motorcycle. You can imagine what others without such means will be facing.
“Our women travel in search of good water. They would have to trek to Eluruja and some other places just to get clean water.”
Menstruation with unclean water
Speaking further, Adedeji said women and girls in the community use unclean water to clean up while menstruating.
She, however, said many have resorted to boiling the water before use, so as to reduce its negative impact on them.
She said, “The water is not clean and we have no other option than to use it like that while menstruating. Recently, local government officials came and advised us to always boil the water before using it to clean or wash our clothes and underwear during menstruation.
“Not having water is not actually a new thing here, we have been facing it for a long time. We just hope the state government will come to our aid. We want this problem to be solved because we are suffering.”
One community, several problems
Aside from the lack of access to potable water, Bamgbade community has no good roads, lacks power supply and has no healthcare centre.
Residents of the community told our correspondent that they have been abandoned.
With no healthcare centre to cater to their needs, it was learnt that residents have resorted to self-medication and also patronise traditional medicine homes for treatments.
The residents told our correspondent that they have been abandoned by the local and state governments and that there have been avoidable deaths and diseases caused by the stream and lack of healthcare facilities.
Reportr Door Healthwise gathered that the only available means of transportation in the community is by motorcycle and when pregnant women are in labour, the only way to get to the nearest hospital, which is about 20 kilometres away, is to endure a bumpy ride.
The community head, Obawemimo, confirmed that residents rely on self-medication and traditional medicine to address their health problems.
He claimed that his second-in-command, Ibrahim Adesina, has taken it upon himself to treat anyone who becomes unwell after consuming the contaminated water.
“He has become the community doctor and provides treatments to those in need. It is Adesina that everyone calls when there is any health challenge. He prescribes herbs for sick people.
“The Fidiwo health centre is very far from us and accessing it is a problem because the road is not that good, especially during the rainy season. We had to resort to self-help to reduce the stress of going to Fidiwo Hospital to get treatment,” he said.
Pregnant women deliver at home
Since getting a good healthcare facility seems to have become an impossible mission for residents of Bamgbade community, Iya Foto, who is a known midwife in the neighbourhood, is sought after for childbirth.
She told our correspondent that except on rare occasions when there are complications, many pregnant women put to bed at home.
“About 15 communities are expected to use the hospital at Fidiwo. At times, when you get to the Fidiwo health centre, which is about 20 kilometres from us, they may not have drugs or you will not meet anyone. The only time we get to see them is when they come for vaccination.
“Most times, our pregnant women give birth at home. Those that try to risk it to Fidiwo health centre usually give birth by the roadside. We are only seeing God’s grace in this community, if not, we would have recorded lots of death.
“Many of the children you see were born at home. We work together to ensure that expectant mothers give birth without any complications. We only go to the hospital when there are complications, and there have been few of such cases.”
Different community, same problem
A similar water issue also exists in Mosan, a nearby community to Bamgbade, which is about 30 minutes drive.
The only well dug by one of their illustrious sons had gone dry, leaving them with the only choice of trekking for almost an hour to Olugbo, a nearby village.
Victoria Ajayi, 85, said she relies on motorcyclists to fetch water for her to drink and cook with, lamenting that it was costing her so much.
She said, “We have been suffering from this water issue for decades, since the administration of Otunba Gbanga Daniel. We have been going to the Obafemi-Owode local government secretariat to beg for their assistance.
“One of our sons built a well for us, but it dried up several years ago. I pay motorcyclists just to get water. I pay as much as N100 for a 25 litres jerry can.
“Where we get water is far and I don’t have the strength to trek for that long. It is only those that have motorcycles that can travel that far.”
75-year-old, Esther Idowu, said there is no hospital in the community and they also have to walk for about an hour to get to Fidiwo primary health centre.
“I trek to the hospital to have my blood pressure checked. On some lucky days, people from the local government will come to our houses to carry out medical check-ups,” she added.
Abandoned, not forgotten
Although residents of Bamgbade and Mosan have been abandoned to their fate, they are readily courted during the electioneering and campaign periods.
They claimed that they participated in 1979, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and the 2023 elections.
Reportr Door Healthwise gathered that politicians constantly throng the two communities to campaign and solicit residents’ support, despite the lack of potable water, accessible roads, electricity and a functional health centre.
It was gathered that some of the politicians have members of the communities as key stakeholders in their different support groups.
A resident of Mosan, Madam Idowu, claimed they are usually hoodwinked into making them support a particular candidate, only to be abandoned after the election.
According to her, “I voted in two elections because the politicians, during their campaigns promised to provide water for the Mosan community. Our children living in the town have told us that we should not bother to ask for money from those politicians, that we should just tell them that we want them to provide water for us.
“When they came, we told them that water was the most important thing that we needed and they promised to provide boreholes. But when they won, they never bothered to fulfil their promises.
“They gave water to the people of Fidiwo. It showed that we are not important, if not, they would have also provided us with potable water too.”
Adedeji told our correspondent that she joined the ruling party in the state to ensure that the challenge being faced by the Bamgbade community was resolved.
She, however, lamented that several efforts to get the attention of the state government did not yield any positive response.
“I am a party leader and during our meetings, I usually bring up the issue of the water challenges we are facing. They kept promising that something would be done, but so far, nothing has been done. We are fed up at this point.
“Those in Fidiwo are being recognised and we are neglected. They have boreholes and a primary health centre there. Nothing has been done for us despite the fact that we are farmers and produce most of the foods.”
Meanwhile, another resident, simply identified, Soronke, threatened that unless the government helped them and provided water for the community, they would not take part in any forthcoming election.
“We have been voting and we are not seeing any impact. We have resolved not to participate in future elections. We have made several efforts to reach the government, but nothing is being done to alleviate our suffering.”
Data reveals challenges persist
The consequences of not having access to potable water can be far overreaching.
According to the WaterAid fact sheet, 12 million people in Nigeria lack access to good toilets, which means they defecate in the open, thus promoting the spread of disease and contributing to environmental degradation.
The likelihood of violence against women and girls, who are frequently at risk when they walk outside to defecate in the open, is also there.
Another significant issue identified by WaterAid is the absence of facilities for handwashing with soap and water.
According to the NGO, 167 million Nigerians lack access to this basic resource, placing them at an increased risk of contracting diseases like COVID-19, and other diseases, which can be avoided by routine handwashing.
“Access to WASH services in rural communities in Nigeria is even more problematic. Rural communities often lack basic infrastructure such as water supply systems, sanitation facilities, and handwashing stations. This makes them more vulnerable to the health risks associated with poor WASH services.
“The impact of climate change is also expected to exacerbate the water scarcity situation in Nigeria, as noted by WaterAid,” the factsheet read.
The NGO predicted that by 2030, water scarcity will displace between 24 million and 700 million people globally.
This will notably have significant implications for Nigeria, where many people already lack access to clean water.
The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 data also reveals a worrying trend in rural communities.
According to the data, between 2013 and 2018, the percentage of rural households with a place for washing hands decreased from 37.1 per cent to 22.5 per cent.
This is a significant drop and a cause for concern, as regular hand washing is essential to prevent the spread of diseases.
The data also showed an increase in the percentage of the rural population with limited hand washing facilities from 56.3 per cent in 2013 to 62.7 per cent in 2018. This means that more people in rural communities are at risk of infections due to the lack of handwashing facilities.
Additionally, the percentage of cleaning agents, other than soap available in rural communities decreased from 8.2 per cent to 1 per cent, thus, highlighting the need for increased access to basic hygiene supplies.
The lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services is a critical issue in Nigeria, particularly in rural communities.
Where water is not readily available, people may see handwashing as not being a priority, thereby adding to the likelihood of diarrhoea and other diseases., Diarrhoea is the most widely known disease linked to contaminated food and water, but there are other hazards.
In 2017, over 220 million people required preventive treatment for schistosomiasis – an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms contracted through exposure to infested water.
Traders, commuters at risk
People who drink contaminated water are exposed to certain water contaminants that may cause some waterborne diseases. Waterborne infections are those that are brought on by pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and protozoa.
Some of these diseases are also brought on by poisons released by toxic algae and cyanobacteria release.
Also, chemicals from manufacturing and industrial facilities, farming and agricultural techniques, human activities, and many more are examples of other primary sources of contamination.
Communities at risk
People who live in communities and drink water from dirty sources run the risk of contracting waterborne diseases, which are contagious and can spread quickly.
This happens to be of major concern in this case as Reportr Door Healthwise learnt that people from several localities usually converge at the Fidiwo market, which is approximately an hour’s drive from Bamgbade, to purchase farm products.
Our correspondent gathered that residents of Mosan, Bamgbade, and a number of other settlements usually bring their goods to the market days to sell to traders from the cities.
It was also discovered that more than seven other rural communities in the region are connected to the road that links Mosan and Bamgbade to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
At the end of the day, they congregate at the Fidiwo bus stop, along the expressway to either take a bus to Lagos, Ibadan, or any other location in Ogun State.
Epidemic looms – expert
The Acting Director and Head of Medical Laboratory Services, University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital, Oyo State, Dr. Odekanmi Adesina, warned that there could be an epidemic outbreak if nothing is done to make clean water available, especially for residents of Bamgbade community.
He stressed that there could be a spread of infectious diseases like typhoid, cholera, and diarrhoea if nothing is done to tackle the challenge.
The biomedical scientist explained that residents who drink water from the stream are at risk of having a disease known as gastroenteritis.
He noted that it was the reason behind the stomach disorder and stooling of blood experienced by the residents.
“Government needs to prevent an epidemic because these people will go to other areas and infect those there. People may come up with diarrhoea or get infected with another communicable disease. Drinking such water can cause typhoid. You know the dangers of typhoid.
“They should not use that water for anything. It should not be used for drinking, bathing, washing, or cooking because they are likely to have waterborne diseases. And during this period that the rains have come, the common problem they will face is cholera.
“Having gastroenteritis is a big thing because it can be of bacteria, parasites, or viral origin. Using that water for domestic use should be discouraged entirely because the water is not good for humans.”
Speaking further, the biomedical scientist said people may lose their lives if nothing is done to solve the water crisis in the two communities.
While stressing that 92 per cent of the body consists of water, the clinical researcher noted that consistent intake of unclean water is “one of the easiest ways to die early.”
“Water is life. About 92 per cent of our body is water, and this is very important. That is to tell you that if care is not taken, some people may die because the fastest way to die is to drink dirty water. These people should be discouraged from using that water. The Ministry of Health needs to come to their aid and do something fast. The best thing to do for that community is to drill a borehole so that they can have access to good water.
“The reason why they are having rashes is because they are using the water to bath. Stooling blood is a symptom of gastroenteritis. Some bacteria are already finding time to stay in their stomach, especially in the small intestine and it can lead to diarrhoea and death.”
Water should be boiled – microbiologist
A microbiologist at Hayat Kimya Nigeria Limited, Hamdalat Suleiman, advised the residents to water boil water from the stream before use.
She explained that microorganisms are present in untreated water, noting that unclean water can cause several diseases like giardiasis, legionellosos, shigellosis, among others.
Suleiman added that residents of the two communities may experience relapse after treatment and it could become fatal or lead to death.
“Several diseases can result from the use of contaminated or untreated water. Infected individuals present symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea
“Asides from having deviations from the physical properties of treated water such as clarity, odourless, tasteless, microorganisms are the inhabitants of such untreated water.
“The health of those in the communities is usually poor as they encounter relapse after treatment. It is usually a fatal or death situation, especially among infants.
“In rural communities where there is lack of pipe-borne water, it’s necessary for people to boil water for consumption.”
Our work is in phases, we will get- Ogun govt.
When contacted, the Ogun State government said efforts are underway to make potable water available in several rural communities including Mosan and Bamgbade.
The Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Water Resources, Kunle Ottun, said the government is working in phases and it would get to the affected communities in during the second term of the administration.
He said, “Government is making efforts to provide water for as many people as possible. But as you know, if the result is not available, it will first look like we have not done anything.
“The focus of our government is on our ISEYA mantra. This is on infrastructure under which we have water responsibility. We are doing a lot in that area. It is just that when we focus on one, we can’t focus on many others.
“In Abeokuta metropolis, as we speak, you will know that when we talk about water infrastructure, Abeokuta is like a construction site. at Oke-Temidire, we have just constructed a 4.5-milligram water reservoir. We have reconstructed and expanded our water damn at Ara Kanga. We have also expanded our water treatment plant at Arakanga from 82 meters to 162 meters per day.
“I am saying all these to let you know that the government will probably not be able to focus on everywhere at the same time. We will focus on a particular part and when we are done, we will move to another part.
“That particular location that you mentioned, I will let you know for sure that if we have not touched there now, we will touch there in the new dispensation that we want to enter.”
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