A queen mother in the Adaklo traditional area in the Volta  Region caused a huge stir during Joy FM's Ballot Box program when she exhibited a bottle of dirty water as a testimony of the debilitating standard of living residents have been subjected to over the last few years.

The Queen mother, popularly known as Mama, waved the bottle of dirty before hundreds of residents as well as MPs and Parliamentary aspirants who had converged at Adaklu for the Ballot Box program.

"Water is life! Water is life!" she bellowed in her strained thinly voice, adding, "this is our drinking water. Though they are doing something good we are expecting something better."

She had fetched the water from the Kpedze river, which she said was their only source of drinking water in the area.

The water looked dirty, with some of the residents claiming it tasted salty as well.

Mama, with her water exhibition, set the tone for what became the discussion on water politics during the Ballot Box program.

The Ballot Box program is to afford residents the opportunity to voice out which issues they consider most important as the country heads to elections in December.

Members of Parliament (MPs) as well as aspiring MPs, District Chief Executives all have the opportunity to respond directly to the concerns of residents.

The program has been held in some of the regional capitals across the country including the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions.

It was the turn of the Volta Region on Friday precisely at the Adaklu area and the residents were not left out.

As has been the tradition in all the Ballot Box programs the residents of Adaklu voted to choose which issue was the biggest and which they wanted answers to. Road infrastructure emerged as the most important issue they wanted government to address after the next election.

However, when the residents converged to discuss the issues thoroughly, the lack of portable water took centre stage with the MPs, ministers, DCEs parliamentary candidates all conceding that water has been a major problem in the region.

It all started with Mama's dirty water exhibition and all candidates were compelled to comment, either with a promise to fix the problem or to blame the government for allowing the problems to persist.

The New Patriotic Party aspiring Member of Parliament for Adaklu Constituency said a Nana Akufo-Addo government will prioritize the provision of good drinking water to residents of Adaklu. He said the NPP will bring water from Ho through Aboade for the people.

According to him, he has personally begun a process to bring water to Adaklu which will be continued when he is elected into office.

But in a rebuttal, the incumbent Adaklu MP, Kwame Abgodza said the situation is not easy.

He admitted "Adoklu needed water and the situation get worse in the dry season" but was quick to add that the solution is not to order water from Ho.

"The volume of water which comes to Ho is not even enough," he stated. He said the government is currently expanding the water resources in order for Adaklu residents to have their share of portable water.

"As we speak, there is a Spanish water project where the Spanish government is providing water," he stated.

The Ho West MP Emmanuel Bedzra nearly got himself into trouble when he suggested there was no water problem in Ho West.

The residents in loud voices shouted in protest with some insisting there were water challenges in the area.