Lagos barracks: Soldiers levies selves for water, light

Soldiers and their families at Ikeja and Ojo Cantonments in Lagos have started levying themselves to tackle biting scarcity of water.

The Nation gathered the soldiers have lived with the situation for over three years, no thanks to lack of power to pump water from the only borehole serving blocks one to three at the Cantonment.

It was learnt that each of these blocks consisted of 30 flats meaning the borehole was to serve 90 flats with only three hours of electricity for pumping of water daily.

Some of the soldiers who made a Save Our Souls (SOS) message to The Nation said most times they have to trek for about a kilometre distance in search of water to no avail.

They lamented that it was mentally and physically draining for them to return from the day’s task only to go water hunting for long distances inside the barracks but are rejected by those who have personal boreholes.

“This issue started about three years ago. When the system started rationing light from 8pm to 11pm, they forgot that there are buildings sharing boreholes. A block consists of 30 flats and we have three blocks sharing one borehole which means 90 flats.

“Imagine light for three hours to pump water for use by 90 flats. If there was light for longer hours, more flats will at least have water for essentials and wait for the next pumping but that is not the case.

“Some will go to mosque, churches, and public borehole point to fetch. Imagine a single man, after coming back from military duties still carries jerry cans to look for water in one km distance inside the barracks,” said a source who pleaded anonymity.

Another soldier told our correspondent that lack of water was the greatest challenge they faced inside the barracks, lamenting that sometimes, they had to trek as fat as the Army Engineers’ yard but were denied water by those who claimed to be working under instructions.

“Water is as important as food. Imagine me fetching water, climbing steps everyday in this modern generation, after going to long distance. It’s exhausting. Nation