Acute water shortage has hit Sokoto and its environs, forcing residents to trek long distances to get water, the Blueprint reports.
An investigation shows that a 25-litre jerrycan which was sold at N50 now costs between N350 and N400, a situation that gives water vendors brisk business.
Investigation further shows that the residents leave their places of abode at wee hours trouping to streams and Sokoto bi-water points at Tashar Illela.
Many people go without taking their bath for one or two days because they cannot afford to buy water for cooking and other domestic uses.
When our correspondent visited the bi-water project at the Old Market, it was a pathetic situation as children of school age, women and all classes of people were seen in frustration because they could not get water.
Some residents decried the water scarcity and said they could not remember when last they drew water from their taps.
They stated that what is more worrisome was that there was no official statement from the authority regarding the scarcity of water.
Malam Bello Muhammad, a resident of Old Market said the scarcity had negatively affected their living conditions because the money which they are supposed to feed their family was being channeled to buying water from vendors.
“Water scarcity isn’t peculiar to this administration. Successive governments had experienced similar problems.
“Way back in 1982 / 83, the administration of Dr Garba Nadama, the second civilian governor, also experienced such problems. His party, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was christened as NPN mai jalka,” he said.