Ezimo Community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Tuesday, faulted claims by Sahara Reporters that natives of Urukpa settlement of the community share water with grazing cows.
NEWSNGR reports that Ezimo is the country home of the state Deputy Governor, Barr Ifeanyi Ossai.
The President of Ezimo Unity Forum, Pharm Charles Ndu, decried non-balancing of reports by Sahara Reporters. He said the report lacked credibly and fell short of standard practice.
Ndu, who is also the President of Urukpa Bothers’ Movement, which the deputy governor is a member, said the report is targeted at tarnishing the image of Urukpa and the entire Ezimo. He said he would not rule out political undertones to the report.
In his words, “I’m from Urukpa where the reporter quoted that we share water with cows. It’s not true. We have functional boreholes even before Barr Ossai became the deputy governor. He has also attracted water boreholes to us. One of them is a motorised borehole located at an agro-centre which he brought. Water used for the community’s Smart Green School is being sourced from one of the boreholes. Another is at our health centre. He also embarked on constructing new ones.”
He however agreed that because of the topography of Urukpa that attempts the deputy governor, as well as other private persons made to construct boreholes at some strategic places haven’t been realized.
He said the picture of the stream in the news was isolated, maintaining that “one of them does have such impurities when there is a downpour.”
Quoting him, “The author floored himself by failing to acknowledge that spring water is fetched from rocks. Again, it’s age-long and optional. Residents have options of boreholes. I’m a medical professional. The spring water is from rocks, and rich in fulvic. They are not being submerged by cows as reported. I doubt if cows ever drank there of late. Let’s practise journalism according to the rules.”
Also reacting, Onyekachi Ugwu, a former councillor of the community and immediate past president of Ezimo Unity Forum, called on journalists to carry out independent investigations before going to press to avoid misleading the public.
Ugwu said the deputy governor’s country home has seven boreholes, with five of them functional, and wondered why reporters of Sahara Reporters would peddle falsehood.
According to him, “.. by Sahara Reporters is falsehood walking on all four and it is a shame that the principles of investigative journalism have been lost to that organization. Too bad. How the cookie is crumbling too fast!”
According to him, Ezimo Community has no business relying on streams or runway water for its potable water needs.
Quoting him, “Ezimo has over twenty two streams and five waterfalls, not to talk about many minor bodies of water. And these are spread across the two autonomous communities that make up the greater Ezimo. Ezimo as a ward boasts of significant government presence when the issue is about water boreholes.”
He mentioned functional boreholes in Ezimo as Ozara ADB Borehole built in 2005, Amaogbele CSDA project built in 2022, Urukpa ATAPS Solar Powered borehole
Status, Urukpa IFAD Borehole built in 2023 and the Amallogbo/Amogu Udenu Local Government borehole of 2026.
The non-functional ones, according to Ugwu, are the Sen Utazi Constituency project borehole and that of Community Secondary School, Ezimo Uno, built in 1983.
He maintained that Ezimo has a higher number of government boreholes than 80% of communities in Enugu North Senatorial Zone.
He added, “Monday Diamond and CSDA have concluded arrangements for the citing of yet another borehole in Ezimo, bringing it to eight government boreholes. If not for some technical issues, the borehole designed for the Type 2 Healthcare Facility, Ibagwa-Ezimo, would have been done and dusted.
“This is politics taken to ridiculous heights. Those who play ridiculous politics with matters concerning. I invite anyone in doubt to come for on-the-spot-assessment of Ezimo water facilities and even streams and springs.”
