Actually,I was heading for my village,Akpugoeze, in Oji River local government area of Enugu state.

I had a particular spring water in mind before embarking on the travel. I was over three years since I last visited that spring water and I really needed to know how it has fared.

I arrived Enugu late into the night and couldn't embark on my mission that day.

So,as soon as it was morning, I left for the "Okuru" spring water. A spring that runs from a huge rock,with an amazing aquatic life,a very huge forest resource.I left with my younger brother who travelled with me,we walked to the spring that particular sunny Sunday morning.

Normally,people fill that spring in the morning trying to either fetch water or do their washings and I grew up to know that the Okuru spring was good for drinking. In fact,it solved the drinking needs of an entire village,Amagu village of Akpugoeze to be precise. It used to be crystal clear and was home to young fishes. Indeed,then it was a delight to watch.

But then,about 5 years ago,the spring survived a terrible situation. There were trees that grew on the rock via which the spring runs. One of such trees about 5years ago felled across the spring. It threatened to terminate the source of that spring. It destroyed the wooden outlet that the water flows through and consequently destroyed the habitat of the fishes and had villagers looking for an alternative source of water. In fact,that particular incident almost saw the water bodies, feeding off the spring, dry up.

It was close to the yuletide that year when the villagers came together to restore that spring that had long been their heritage. A spring which they believe that "anyone who drinks from it will grow healthy". They provided a new wooden outlet for the spring to flow,they took away the tree that fell across the spring and allowed the spring to come back to life.

But then, since that incident, the Okuru spring was never the same again. It was truly distorted.

So,after over three years of my visit to the spring,I returned to Okuru some days ago.I got to Okuru,rolled up my trousers and went into the water to see things first hand. I also spoke to a boy I met in the spring who told me that they had since returned to the spring after that threatening experience while explaining that people where not much at the spring water that day because it was a Sunday(with an early sun) and people had gone to church.I was glad to see that the water was still running though I was disappointed to observe that it has lost most of its aquatic organisms especially the fishes, its tributaries were also not with enough water. But I sensed that the situation may change when the raining season comes into full flow. It is only then that I can see the real situation and know how to help out.

Overall,the mountain leading to the Okuru spring is steep and fantastic. The forest resources surrounding the spring are beautiful to behold.  

I will return to Okuru spring this year to know,if truly, it has lost its aquatic life. I hope it hasn't as our water resources are very important to me,especially the natural ones.

(NB: The early sun affected some of the photos,please bear with me)