Group Accuses Makinde Of Neglecting Oyo Water Corporation Despite Billions Spent

A political pressure group, Watchdogs for Good Governance, has accused the Oyo State Government of neglecting the state’s public water system despite billions of naira reportedly budgeted for the sector over the years.

The group also alleged that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde converted a strategic state water reservoir at Agodi, along Old Ife Road, Ibadan, into a shopping complex, describing the development as unfortunate and insensitive.

In a statement issued on Sunday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the group’s Convener, Comrade Ahmed Adeyemo, said residents across the state had increasingly been left to provide water for themselves through boreholes and other private sources.

Adeyemo expressed concern over what he described as the collapse of public water supply in the state, saying the situation could have consequences for public health and the environment.

“The conversion of a state water reservoir to a shopping complex is a slap in the face of the good people of Oyo State. Today, lack of clean potable water has forced our people to rely on boreholes. It increases the spread of diseases and inflicts untold hardship,” the statement said.

The group recalled that the Oyo State Water Corporation, established in 1977 from the defunct Western Nigeria Water Corporation, had for decades provided potable water to Ibadan and other major towns before what it described as its gradual decline under the present administration.

“What challenges was the Corporation facing that could not be addressed without destroying existing public infrastructure? Governor Makinde must explain to the people why he chose to sell off their future,” Adeyemo queried.

The Watchdogs challenged the state government to publish audited accounts of the water sector, claiming that budget records over the past seven years showed that billions of naira had been earmarked for water.

“Billions were provided for in the budget for water every year. Where did the money go? Why are taps dry? Why does the Water Corporation exist only on paper?” the group asked.

It also warned that the increasing dependence on unregulated wells and boreholes by residents could pose environmental risks, including groundwater contamination and land subsidence.

The group compared the situation with previous administrations, which it said invested in water infrastructure, including the rehabilitation and expansion of the Asejire and Eleyele Water Treatment Plants to improve water production capacity for Ibadan and its environs.

“Records show that the administrations of Senator Rashidi Ladoja, now His Imperial Majesty the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and Senator Abiola Ajimobi, embarked on high-profile rehabilitation projects.

“They built and maintained. This administration destroys and converts. If past governors had sold public infrastructures the way Makinde is doing, what would he have been selling today?” the group said.

The group further alleged that the Makinde administration had failed to provide public water supply in any part of Oyo State since 2019 despite the billions it claimed had been budgeted and possibly spent on the sector.

Describing some of the administration’s projects as cosmetic, the group accused the government of lacking the capacity to properly maintain public infrastructure.

“His lack of understanding of governance led to many cosmetic projects that look good on billboards but add no value to the daily survival of the people. Water is life. You cannot replace water with a shopping complex,” the statement added.

The group said a new administration coming into office in May 2027 would be expected to review the government’s records and demanded answers on the expenditure on the state’s water sector.

“Makinde should prepare to answer many questions after handing over to a more progressive government in May 2027. No secret will be left unexposed,” it said.