Shomolu, Ikorodu Residents Want Lagos Government To Address Water Shortage

Communities in Shomolu and Ikorodu have urged the Lagos State
Government to urgently address the dire water shortage in their
localities that has made life unbearable for them. Interestingly,
Shomolu and Bariga waterworks are within the communities’ proximity.

The communities also want the state government to rehabilitate and
make the waterworks in their domain functional so that they can access
clean water for drinking and washing of hands as advised by the
government to check the spread of COVID-19.

The communities amplified their demands when Corporate Accountability
and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) visited them in continuation
of fact-finding visit to ascertain the level of intervention of the
state government since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The group was in Pedro area of Shomolu on August 11 and Ijede in
Ikorodu on August 27.

The engagement in Shomolu had representatives of the communities,
youths, and women leaders in attendance.

CAPPA Associate Director, Olatunji Buhari, gave a brief background of
the organisation and ‘Our Water Our Right Coalition’ which he said
both started in 2014 and work to promote human right to water and
challenge impediments to its access.

Buhari explained that CAPPA recently launched a report on the status
of waterworks in 11 local governments of the state, including Shomolu
which was not producing water as at the time the CAPPA team visited in
May.

He pointed out it was important that the community folks were speaking
out and correcting the state government’s claim that they had provided
water to meet their routine needs and checking of the spread of
COVID-19.

Community representative, Olubukonla Oduwoye explained that the
community lacked water. She added that it was the police station in
the neighborhood that provides water from its borehole which had also
become rationed.

Another community representative, Elder Ugbabor, said it was
unfortunate that even with the Shomolu and Bariga waterworks within
their proximity, there was no water for use, hence most of the
residents depend on unwholesome water sources.

When the CAPPA team visited Ijede community in Ikorodu the residents
revealed that for upmost of 16 years the taps have been dry, and that
most of them have resorted to using water from the river which was not
safe for consumption.

They narrated how they frequent the hospitals due to the high
incidence of water-related illnesses and the huge toll it was taking
on their income.

In his appeal to the government on their behalf, Tosin Onamade said
that constitutionally the government should provide them water. But
unfortunately, this was not the case and it had forced residents to
resort to self-help at great cost to their health and income.

Onamade appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to address their
plight by ensuring that the waterworks in Ikorodu are rehabilitated
and made to work optimally.

Earlier, CAPPA Programmes Director, Philip Jakpor said water is a
right and the United Nations has declared so, and such it is the
responsibility of the government to provide clean and affordable water
for the people.

The CAPPA team also included Aderonke Ige, Veronica Nwanya and
Olalekan Fagbenro.