LAGOS DEBUNKS SPECULATION ON DISRUPTION IN WATER SUPPLY
The Lagos Water Corporation has debunked the speculation that recent disruption in water supply was due to the adoption of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) as a model for public infrastructure delivery in Lagos State.
Engr. Muminu Badmus, Group Managing Director/CEO, Lagos Water Corporation, who stated this while reacting to a recent media sponsored by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE), alleging that the management of Lagos Water Corporation deliberately embarked on strategies to cajole Lagosians into believing that the only sustainable way of supplying water is to adopt the Public-Private Partnership Initiative.
He said, “The Lagos State Government had earlier mentioned in one of its publications that it has not privatised water supply, neither has it awarded water privatisation contract to any organisation, as no responsible government will jeopardise the interests of the State by not following the due process in its transactions”.
The LWC boss explained that the Corporation had earlier published a release on the water situation in Lagos, stressing that the disruption in water supply to some part of the State was as a result of epileptic power supply from the Independent Power Plant in Akute which adversely affected water production and supply from the major waterworks of Adiyan and Iju.
He added that with the reconnection of the power plant to the National Grid, all the affected communities such as Bariga, Lawanson, Ketu, Ojodu, Agboyi and Mile 12 among others, earlier mentioned in the report are presently receiving water supply as part of the commitment of the LWC management to customer satisfaction through improved service delivery.
Engr. Muminu further explained that the Corporation had completed the rehabilitation of 48 mini-waterworks across the State in an effort to upgrade the mini/micro waterworks to perform to their installed capacity.
He added that contrary to the erroneous claim in the said publication on Staff retrenchment, the corporation has not and will not retrench any staff whatsoever, as it does not have the mandate to do so, just as he reiterated the State government’s commitment to the wellbeing and welfare of all staff in its employ.
The LWC boss, therefore, assured all residents in the State of government’s determination to ensure that every household is supplied with potable water.