Water has no enemy - was paraphrased to "Water no get enemy" by the late music maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The international anti-corruption czar who used his legacy while on earth to combat the corrupt practices of the past leadership of Nigeria. This anti corruption crusade however met with a lot of severe consequences that affected his life and musical career.
Such audacious and dogged citizen of great reputation made an indelible impact in preaching ideal democracy, hence historians, intellectuals, sages and everyone including you and I will continue to reference him as a man ahead of his time even at death. If you have not listened to "WATER NO GET ENERMY" by FELA, go run a search on Google to download.
Now, let's talk about today. Every 22, March is about focusing attention on the numerous importance of water. Today is World Water Day, and the theme for this year is - "Nature for Water" as declared by the United Nation's (UN)
This year’s theme – Nature for Water – explores how we can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century.
According to research, water is the most common substance found on earth, and it regulates Earth's temperature. Last year's theme was "Why waste water?" But today, let's place our focus on the nature for water?".
I pen this piece down because I'm a lover of nature who cherishes the unmerited blessings of God to man. I look around and to my right all I see is chickens caged in their beds making sounds, feeding and drinking water to stay alive, laying eggs, and continue to grow. Then to my left are ponds filled with fishes swimming happily under water; what a beautiful environment I find myself today. Now, just behind me are green vegetables planted like flowers in the garden of Eden. I can say at best that I'm stomach-filled with the smell of nature. The banana and plantain plantations are a beautiful sight to behold. Indeed the land is green, can't you see? Just like TYBello said in her song - #GreenLand years ago.
After such agricultural field trip, I was served a bottle of chilled water sourced from bore hole, and I said - "He that has water in him will live". Then we moved some meters away from where we were to the building site, and I watched in amazement how the modern building blocks are been fabricated. The quantity of water used in moulding just a hundred pieces of blocks were in gallons. You'd agree with me that regardless of the source, it's impossible to mould without water.
We can then say that water is an essential building block of life. It is more than just essential to quench thirst or protect health; water is vital for creating jobs and supporting economic, social, and human development. Without water, the chickens in the poultry will all die, the fishes in the ponds too will stay lifeless, all the green plants won't even germinate in the first place.
Even as the importance of water is being emphasised to the nature and mankind, it's alarming that over 780 million people lack access to an improved water source as 33% of what the world spends on bottled water in one year could pay for projects providing water to everyone in need, even as archive has it that unsafe water kills 200 children every hour across the world. Alas, 80% of all illnesses in the developing world are water -related.
In view of the above, it's advisable for all African leaders to do more in the area of providing portable water for their citizens. Our children are dying in numbers, so also is our livestock. In Nigeria today, majority of fellow students on campuses are forced to bathe with either sachet water or water gotten from irritating sources. I implore government and the concerned agencies to come to the aid of those who cannot afford to provide good source of water for themselves, and let's all unite to fight cholera and other related diseases caused by water. Let's all appreciate and use water rightly for the benefit of mankind.
Nwokwu Stanley
For CliqEarl Media
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