An official with the Regional Hospital Annex Buea, has hinted to the Cameroon Journal that the number of people consulting and who have been diagnosed positive with typhoid in the Buea municipality, particularly from Molyko, is drastically increasing.

The medical practitioner who preferred to remain anonymous stated that dirty drinking water is the root cause of the problem.

For the past three weeks, residents in Buea, especially in the student residential area of Molyko have continued to decry the poor quality of drinking water served their households by the water distribution company, CAMWATER.

In a recent call-in program on a Buea based radio station, which focused on water crises in the town, most of the participants condemned the poor and unhygienic water that flows through their taps.

One Max Aroah, a caller from Ndongo neighbourhood lamented that when he opened his tap to fetch water, the quality he got was far below expectation.

It is really unbelievable that in 2015 we are still discussing water crises in Buea after all the promises made by those in power to rectify this problem.

The other night I opened my tap and almost collapsed due to the odour which came from the water. For a second, I wondered if an animal had died in the catchment tank,” he said adding that; “We hardly have water supply and when the water finally starts flowing, it is yellow in colour, but this time around it seems we are being served with water from a pit toilet.”

Speaking to our reporter at the weekend, a dispenser in one of the biggest pharmacies in Buea confirmed that they have witnessed an increase in sales of typhoid drugs. “For some time now, out of every ten patients who come to buy drugs for stomach related problems, over seven of them complain of running stomach and we can say that they all ate one kind of food. The only thing which they all might have taken which can cause this is drinking water especially as it comes from the same source,” she said.

While many have learnt to cope with the current water situation plaguing the city, others are quick to point accusing fingers at the local council authorities and CAMWATER.

Critics have questioned why Ekema Patrick, Mayor of Buea, has failed to uphold one of his prime campaign promises which was to find a lasting solution to the water crises in Buea.

They hold that the provision of an essential commodity like water which is necessary for survival should be the “number one” priority of a government that claims to have the interest of its people at heart
Ekema, it should be recalled was elected at the September 2013 twin elections.

During his campaign, he was quoted on an interview over the national station to have condemned the regime of Mbella Moki, his predecessor, for doing almost nothing to improve the quality of drinking water supplied within Buea municipality.

However, at a recent council session the mayor disclosed that more than 10 bore holes were under construction in strategic locations of the city as his administration strives to end the water crises in Buea.