Commissioners’ Quarters Thirsty for Weeks as Vintage Generator Gives Up

By Yusuf A Yusuf Damaturu 

Residents of Commissioners’ Quarters,one of the most prominent residential areas in Damaturu, have decried worsening water scarcity following the breakdown of a generator powering a major public borehole serving the community.

The area, located within the Diop Estate axis of the Yobe State capital, is regarded as one of the most strategic and elite neighbourhoods in the state. 

Among residents are top government officials, security chiefs, and political office holders, including the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Commissioner of Police, state commissioners, and a member of the House of Representatives, among other dignitaries.

Despite its status and proximity to the seat of government, residents say they have been battling severe water shortages after the generator powering Borehole DA 48 developed faults.

Many residents believe the situation exposes the wider collapse of public water infrastructure in the state and raises troubling questions about the conditions faced by ordinary communities without influential residents.

“If a community like Commissioners’ Quarters within the state capital can suffer this level of hardship despite having top government officials residing there, then one can only imagine what people in remote communities are going through,” a resident said.

The development has also drawn attention to growing complaints of water scarcity affecting several communities across Damaturu and surrounding areas.

Baba Wuro, operator of the borehole, said the faulty generator had been in use for more than two decades. According to him, the generator was installed alongside the borehole during the administration of the late Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim.

“The generator is as old as the borehole itself. It was commissioned the same day as the Yobe State Islamic Centre,” he said.

Malam Abdul, a community elder from Commissioners’ Quarters, said residents had become increasingly frustrated over the persistent water shortage. 

He disclosed that some youths had proposed staging a protest before elders intervened and opted for dialogue with officials of the Yobe State Water Board Corporation.

“A lot of residents were angry and wanted to demonstrate over the situation, but we calmed them down and promised to channel their complaints appropriately,” he said.

He said the intervention of some well-to-do residents who allowed neighbours to fetch water from private boreholes helped to ease the hardship. “Some good people in the community have been assisting residents with water from their personal boreholes.Otherwise, the situation could have become a disaster,” Abdul added.

Another resident, Malam Baba Karami, recalled that previous complaints had been lodged with the water authorities over the poor state of the borehole and the need to increase its operational hours due to rising population.

According to him, the facility had been overstretched for years, while the ageing generator frequently suffered engine oil shortages and mechanical faults.

“Sometimes some residents volunteered to buy engine oil just to keep the generator running and avoid a total breakdown of water supply,” he said.

An anonymous source at the office of the General Manager of the Yobe State Water Board Corporation alleged that several files concerning similar complaints had earlier been forwarded to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) without response. 

The source claimed the requests were sent long before the current Secretary to the State Government declared interest in the governorship race under the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Reacting to the complaints, Hussaini Adamu, Director of Technical Services at the Yobe State Water Board Corporation, acknowledged the challenges confronting the agency. 

He said the corporation manages more than 100 boreholes within Damaturu and neighbouring communities, stressing that maintaining such facilities with limited resources remains difficult.

“We have already procured a block engine and crankshaft for the overhaul of the generator powering DA 48,” he said. According to him, the remaining components required for the repairs, including bearings and pistons, are available locally and would soon be installed.

Adamu assured residents that the generator would be repaired before the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration. “Very soon, before the Sallah festival, the generator will be fixed and the borehole will resume full operation to provide enough water for residents,” he said.

He commended community leaders for adopting peaceful engagement instead of confrontation. “That sense of ownership and concern keeps us on our toes to ensure boreholes under the corporation remain functional,” he added.