Okoritak: A Community Desperate for Access to Clean Water
Okoritak, a small oil-producing community in Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, is a glaring example of neglect in Nigeria’s resource-rich regions. Despite its contribution to the nation’s oil wealth, the community suffers from a severe lack of basic amenities, most notably access to clean drinking water. During a recent visit, by the Strategic Partnership Agreement II project team, the dire living conditions and the voices of the residents revealed the urgent need for intervention.
Okoritak sits across the water, directly opposite the upland community of Iwuopom , Inua, Eyet Ikot Mkpanak group of villages. The journey to the community reveals its harsh realities: thatched houses barely holding together, a visible lack of infrastructure, and a pervasive sense of abandonment.
One of the most alarming findings was the community’s only source of water, an abandoned oil well left behind by Network Exploration, one of the major oil companies operating in the state. This oil well, unused for over 25 years, has become the sole water source for the community. Residents explained that when the water level drops, they are forced to dig deeper, exposing themselves to unsafe and unhygienic conditions.
The people of Okoritak have lived with these conditions for decades, but their voices carry the weight of resilience and hope for change.
Koffi, a young man in the community and the president of the Ibeno Youth Advocacy Network, expressed his frustration:
"We live here surrounded by oil, but we have nothing to show for it. The water we drink comes from an old oil well. It’s not clean, and sometimes it smells bad, but we have no choice. We just want clean water, just water to drink and cook with. Is that too much to ask the government for?" "I thought it is said that the first responsibility of government is the welfare of the people, why then is ours different, he continued.
Mrs Patience, a woman from the community, speaking with a mix of anger and desperation, added:
"When the well dries up, we dig it deeper, even though we know it’s not safe. Sometimes our children fall sick, and we know it’s because of the water, but where else will we go, the cost of pure water is so expensive and we often have to cross the water to the upland community before we can get it. We don’t need much; even a borehole that we can pump by hand would be enough for us."
The youth president of Okoritak summarized the community’s plea:
"Our people are tired of being forgotten. We need the government and the companies operating here to see us and hear our cries. We are not asking for luxury, just the basic things every human deserves. Let them help us with a borehole, even if it’s manual, so we can have safe water to drink. We cannot keep living like this."
The situation in Okoritak highlights the urgent need for government intervention. The lack of clean water is not only a health crisis but also a human rights issue. Residents are calling on the government and oil companies operating in the region to provide at least a manually operated borehole to alleviate their suffering.
This is a basic step toward restoring dignity to a community that has given so much to the nation’s economy. The time to act is now, before preventable diseases and continued neglect cause further harm to the people of Okoritak.
