The forgotten wellspring in Umuegwu, Ekwerazu regional water scheme: A call for restoration
By Ikukundu Iyke Anyanwu
Some ruins are reminders of war, others of neglect. But a rare few remind us of the promises our government made and abandoned, yet we still have hope. The Ekwerazu Regional Water Scheme, once the lifeline of my people in Ekwerazu, Mbaise, is one such reminder. It now lies in ruin, a testimony to abandonment. Its tanks and reservoirs are dry, valves rusted, pipes exhumed, and hope buried beneath weeds.
And yet it still calls… or shall we say—we still have hope.
In the early 1980s, under the visionary leadership of Governor Sam Mbakwe, Imo State undertook one of Nigeria’s most ambitious rural water supply projects. From Otamiri in Owerri to Okigwe and down to Mbaise, clean water was no longer a dream. It was a trek away. I remember the queues of people from far and wide waiting to fetch water at Okpu Umumgbo Umuegwu, where one of the best-maintained taps stood proudly.
The Ekwerazu Regional Water Scheme, a source of clean, spring-fed water for my people in the six clans of Mpam, Ihitte Afor Ukwu, Obohia, Umuokrika, Oparanadim, and Ekwereazu Town was the magic. At the heart of this system was Isimiri Nkwo Umuegwu, the intake, pumping, generation, and filtration base in my immediate community, Umuegwu. The water it drew flowed not just through pipes but through generations of hope. It was sourced from the same sacred aquifer that feeds the miniature lake of Ihuagwu Umuegwu, a revered site believed to be one of the smallest natural lakes known to mankind.
From this sacred source, water was pumped to a towering over 100-foot reservoir stationed on the hilly land of Umuohuo, my maternal home—just a mile away. Growing up in the 1980s, I recall walking with my mother, Celine Eluwawuchi Anyanwu (née Ononiwu), to her maternal village in Umunwokonkwo Nnemere, Mpam. Along the way, we would pause in awe at the towering reservoir, a monument to progress. My mother often told stories of her own mother—Adaku Amaefule, my grandmother—who was a community mobilizer and elected NCNC Mbaise women council leader; a political and cultural giant in her days who believed in dignity, service and water for all.
Then came the fall that broke the promise… but not the people
During Tanko Zubairu’s military regime, the sacred heartbeat of Isimiri nkwo Umuegwu was violated. We, the people of Umuegwu, watched helplessly as the pumping machines and diesel generators were carted away in broad daylight—not by criminals but by agents of the state. It was not theft. It was a betrayal of trust by those who held power.
Since that day, the site has remained a ghost of governance—overgrown, deserted, and mourned.
The spring is still there. The lake remains, but the water no longer flows. And yet, the dream has not dried up. It will never dry up because Hope is here.
Let me speak plainly: I am a proud member of the APC, and I believe in the power of leadership to repair the past and renew the future. Under Governor Hope Uzodimma, we’ve seen bold steps in reclaiming what others left to rot. He revived the Otamiri Water Scheme in Owerri, restored life to Orlu’s township facility, and committed Imo State to global best practices through the USAID-backed E-WASH program. These are not just projects—they are proofs of intent. He is indeed a man of goodwill and purpose.
This is why I believe it is time for the Ekwerazu Water Scheme to rise again.
Governor Uzodimma, I call on you—not just as a supporter of your government but as a son of the soil—to send engineers and visionaries to Isimiri Nkwo Umuegwu, to Umuohuo’s reservoir, and the decaying pipeline routes stretching through Eziama, Umuabazu, Umumbiri, and beyond. Let them walk the land. Let them touch the history. Let them know that what lies dormant is not dead.
We can rebuild it—not just with pipes and tanks but with solar-powered pumps, modern filtration, and a maintenance model rooted in community-private partnership. We can partner with the World Bank’s NEWMAP, UNICEF, and USAID and turn the Ekwerazu Water Scheme into a national model for rural water revival.
Governor Uzodimma, let the revived Ekwerazu Regional Water Scheme be your signature in the sands of grassroots history.
Let this be the Governor who didn’t just fix what was visible in the cities but revived what was sacred in the villages.
To my people, I say, “Help is not far.” We must keep speaking, stay organized, and believe that this administration, more than any before it, has shown a willingness to do the hard things.
The Ekwerazu Regional Water Scheme is not just a project. It is a legacy waiting for justice. I am glad Hope is here.
And justice—with Hope—we shall find.
Mr Ikukundu Iyke Anyanwu wrote in from Mpam, Ekwerazu in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, Imo State