Residents, including soldiers, corps members, and civilians residing at the 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army Barracks in Ohafia, Abia State, in the South-East region, expressed their frustration over celebrating the New Year without access to water for cooking.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, some of the residents of the army barracks lamented that while many soldiers and civilians living in the barracks found it hard to get rice as hardship hit harder in the country, those who managed to get rice could not cook on the New Year day as there was no water in the barracks at all.

One of the sources said that sometimes the water would be on for only about four hours, during which time, women would fight n*ked as they struggle to get the water.

The source who preferred anonymity said, “We celebrated this new year without even water. For almost a week we did not see water. On New Year’s Day, all of us thought that we could get water but unfortunately, many people could not cook new year rice. Those who managed to get rice to cook could not cook anything because of lack of water.”

Another source said that “At 14 Brigade, Ohafia, we did not see any water to cook anything, even to bathe and for soldiers to wash clothes.

“It is very bad that immediately you join the Nigerian Army, you have signed your suffering warrant because you will not get anything easily.

“You use your money to buy uniforms, buy boots and polish. What you are using to work for the country, you buy them out of your salary.

“Yet, on a New Year’s Day, nowhere to see water; it is very unfortunate that all these things are happening.”

One of the sources said, “Before the Army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, will say that this is fake news, let him come to 14 Brigade Ohafia and check and interview women to know whether this is true or false.

“We hardly even see water to drink and soldiers are working. Are these soldiers going to leave their duty posts to go outside and look for water? The new year did not go well at 14 Brigade Ohafia.

“Any day they manage to put on the water for about four hours, women fight naked everyday while struggling for water and that is the situation here.”