When Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah assumed office, he made a bold and people-centred promise: that within a short period of time, pipe-borne water would flow into homes across the Enugu metropolis.
It was a promise that resonated deeply with Ndi Enugu, a people who for decades had endured the hardship of water scarcity, relying on tankers, vendors, streams, and unsafe sources to meet a basic human need.
The promise symbolised hope, urgency, and a clear intention to break with the culture of excuses that had long surrounded public utilities in the state.
However, governance, especially in a sector as technically complex and historically neglected as water supply, often confronts realities that are not immediately visible on paper.
While the six-month target for water in every home could not be fully achieved, it is important for the general public to understand that this was not due to lack of will, commitment, or action on the part of Governor Mbah.
Rather, it was the result of several deep-seated and unforeseen inhibiting factors that came to the fore only after serious work had commenced.
One of the major challenges encountered was the extensive blockage of waterways and pipelines caused by decades of indiscriminate building of houses, unregulated urban expansion, and previous road construction projects.
In many parts of Enugu city, water lines that once existed had either been built over, damaged, or completely obstructed, making reticulation extremely difficult.
These obstacles were not mere inconveniences; they required redesigning distribution paths, demolitions in some cases, and careful coordination with other infrastructure projects across the metropolis.
Even more daunting was the shocking state of the existing water infrastructure. The water pipes across Enugu were largely outdated, rusted, and dilapidated, many of them laid several decades ago.
These pipes were designed to carry far less volume of water than what the Mbah administration now generates.
As a result, once high-volume water production began, the old pipes could not withstand the pressure, leading to frequent and rampant bursting along water lines.
This significantly slowed down distribution and reticulation works, despite the availability of water.
It must be clearly stated that Governor Peter Mbah’s government did not fail in water generation; in fact, it exceeded expectations.
Before his administration, Enugu city depended almost entirely on the Ajali Water Scheme, with water generation hovering around 70 million litres.
In less than six months into his administration, Governor Mbah expanded the frontiers of water generation beyond Ajali and increased output to about 120 million litres.
This was a historic leap, representing about a 100 percent expansion in water availability within a very short period.
Since then, water generation has continued to increase and has more than doubled, laying a solid foundation for sustainable supply.
Unfortunately, while generation advanced rapidly, distribution lagged behind due to the accumulated severe decay of infrastructure over time.
Ideally, these challenges should have been fully captured during feasibility studies before the six-month promise was announced.
In this regard, it is only fair to let the public know that much of the responsibility lay with the State Water Corporation, which failed to provide accurate and comprehensive information about the true state of its infrastructure when the governor sought briefing upon assumption of office.
The scale of decay only became evident when active reticulation work began.
Notwithstanding these setbacks, Governor Peter Mbah did not retreat, shift blame, or abandon the project. Like the brave and committed leader he is, he chose to confront the reality head-on.
As a result, water availability across Enugu metropolis expanded significantly even before his first six months in office elapsed, and it has continued to improve steadily since then.
Today, areas that had not known pipe-borne water for decades are once again enjoying this basic amenity.
Communities such as Abakpa, Emene, parts of Gariki, Agbani Road, Achara Layout, and Idaw-River have all witnessed a revival of water supply, and many of them continue to enjoy it up to this day.
While the goal of water in every home within six months proved more difficult than anticipated, one undeniable truth stands firm, and water distribution in Enugu has tremendously improved.
Even the most cynical critics and hardened detractors of the administration agree on this point. More homes are connected, more taps are running, and more families are relieved of the daily struggle for water than at any other time in recent history.
In conclusion, Governor Peter Mbah deserves commendation for his aggressive infrastructural drive and his uncommon commitment to fixing the water sector in Enugu State.
Progress, though challenged, is real and visible. Ndi Enugu and the general public are therefore urged to support his administration as he works to realise the dream of a modern, self-reliant, and mega Enugu City.
He should be encouraged, not distracted by sponsored armchair criticisms and sleepless schemes aimed at undermining his efforts. Such plots will not stop the march of progress.
Undoubtedly, what Enugu needs at this moment is unity of purpose, patience, and collective support. With these, the vision of sustainable water supply and a greater Enugu State will not only be achieved, it will endure.
