Residents of Ifako-Ijaiye in Lagos have kicked against the plan by the Lagos State Government to introduce meter billings in the area for water consumption.
Speaking during a Water Parliament session organized by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), a forum to engage communities on water issues, the residents said they were against any steps aimed at commodifying water and thus commercialise a very crucial ingredient of healthy living.
According to them, any attempt by the state government to hand over water availability to any corporate organization would be resisted. Most of the participants at the parliament which included residents, young and old as well as women said water was too essential to life and personal hygiene to be commercialized.
The women said, commercialization of water consumption by the state government would impact badly on domestic hygiene and health of women, especially the girl-child during their menstrual cycles.
The Baale of Ifako Tuntun, Chief Akeem Muraina Mosuro, said he had in the past personally written series of letters to the government over lack of water in the area despite the proximity to Iju water works without any response. He added that in the past the community was connected to public water supply which worked for only a few months before packing up.
According to him, because of the failure of public water, many residents have dug private boreholes which now serve their domestic needs. He said the community would vehemently resist any attempt by the state government to outlaw the use of boreholes by the people because it has become a source of live hoods for some due to government’s negligence.
The Baale asked, “How much do the people earn that government now wants to introduce water meters? How do women take care of household chores if water is commodified and commercialized? I heard that there are plans to block private boreholes. This would be resisted vehemently.”
He said the Water Corporation Yard in the community which houses some reservoirs and equipment have been turned to tricycle parks while another part had been allegedly sold to a private car dealer.
Also, Imam Ridwan Maigida said water was central to purity in Islam and if it is made scarce it would be unacceptable to the Muslim community because it would disturb their cleanliness and ablution rites.
He decried lack of public water supply in the area, recalling that in the past public water supply was common in the area. He, then faulted moves by the government to introduce the billing system when water was not even available for common domestic use. “Now that public water supply has failed, they now want to use us to make money.” He added that in other parts of the world government made sure water is available to all and wondered why Lagos is different.
Earlier, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA, said the Water Parliament was usually a forum convened by the organization to meet communities in various parts of the country to amplify their voices on water issues. He said “Water is life and it is not easily accessible to people because various levels of government have failed to make it available despite claims of investments and foreign loans to the sector. Government now pays more attention to commercial water users than domestic users, this should not be.”
He said CAPPA was ready to amplify their voices to the government and let them know how they feel.
