CAPPA Faults World Bank’s Reforms for Water Supply in Ekiti, Rivers, Bauchi

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March 31, 2025
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Sunday Ehigiator

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has faulted the World Bank’s privatisation reforms for water supply in some states of the federation, saying they have failed the citizens and local communities.

Speaking at the media presentation and launch of a report titled ‘Big Debts, Big Thirst: A Case Study of World Bank Supported Projects in Ekiti, Rivers and Bauchi States, held in Lagos recently, the Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, argued that the water projects as investigated in the three states are not fulfilling it purposes,

He said: “The report examines the ongoing implications of privatisation reforms advocated by international financial institutions, particularly the World Bank, and reveals a disturbing pattern of systemic failures that continue to compromise water access for millions of Nigerians.

“There is undeniably a crisis of potable water availability in Nigeria and across much of Africa.

“Privatisation and commercialisation are widely promoted as efficient solutions to public sector shortcomings. Proponents of this approach argue that market mechanisms naturally foster investment and operational efficiency.

“Yet, the empirical reality from Ekiti, Rivers, and Bauchi states tells a markedly different story. Instead of improved water access and infrastructure, citizens experience steep tariff hikes, workforce downsizing, diminished public accountability, and continued systemic inefficiencies.

“Yet, our findings unequivocally hold that five years after the project’s completion and with a national debt repayment stretching over forty years, local communities remain deeply underserved and disappointed.

“Systemic issues such as lack of managerial accountability and inconsistent power supply, which were flagged as major challenges under public management, remain unaddressed and even exacerbated under this private-driven reform framework.”

Speaking further, Oluwafemi, in the same vein, criticised the privatisation of the power sector, saying it is becoming unbearable for Nigerians.

“The privatisation of electricity in Nigeria underscores this point. It is hard to argue that Nigerians have benefited from this shift, where many have found themselves burdened by outrageous bills, all the while receiving little or no energy.

“Importantly, the findings of this report emphasise the urgency of confronting and challenging the broader ideological framework that drives the privatisation of public water utilities, deregulation, and the austerity approach that continues to place the interests of financial institutions, corporations and private entities over public welfare,” he said.

The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, also condemned the privatisation of the World Bank’s water supply.

He noted that the Public Private Partnership, especially in the provision of water, according to the CAPPA report, has failed woefully, urging the Nigerian government to look inward for alternative means.

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April 6, 2025
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Ibas Moves to Rehabilitate Damaged Rivers LG Secretariats

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (rtd), has said that his administration is committed to fixing most of the vandalised infrastructure in the state within available financial resources.

Ibas expressed the commitment during an on-the-spot inspection of some ongoing road projects, vandalised secretariats of local government councils, and the recently inaugurated Bori Zonal Hospital, on Friday.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Government House Press Unit and sent to newsmen.

Some of the road projects inspected included the Nyhokhana-Kenkhana road, connecting the Luuwa Community to the Baani Community, and the Zakphor-Bateem road, all in the Khana Local Government Area.

Other projects are the Eleme internal roads and drainage, and the Eleme section of the Port Harcourt Ring road project.

The administrator also conducted an assessment of the extent of vandalism of the Khana and Eleme Local Government Council Secretariats.

Ibas described as disheartening the level of destruction and said that when people destroy such infrastructure, no matter the reason, they set the state back.

He stated: “I think we owe the people that we are superintending over, the duty to ensure that these facilities and infrastructure are in the best order.

“We have committed to fix most of the vandalised infrastructure with the limited resources that we have. It is a commitment that, I think we need to deliver to enable those who are using them to return to work.

“I think that by the time I go visiting the other local governments and see what we have on the ground, we will see how we can continue to build trust in our efforts to unite the people of Rivers State, so, that we can make this State a great state that people would want to be in.”

Ibas recalled his recent visit to the State House of Assembly and promised that it would be completed on time to enable that arm of government to start functioning.

The Administrator noted that there is a lot of work to be done and requires the support of all leaders at various levels to ensure that desirable governance is delivered to the people.

He said, “Within the limited resources made available to the local government, I want to implore those who are managing those resources to put them to judicious use.

“The people are watching. They want to know exactly what we are doing with their money. We need to limit the damage that is being created through delivering good governance. I think, once the people are happy with what we are doing, the chances of them taking the law into their own hands will be minimised.”

Commenting on the ongoing road projects, Ibas said roads are critical infrastructure for development and enhanced commerce in any society, which is why such provision cannot be compromised.

He added, “The more roads we have, the more commerce – I mean, the means of commuting becomes easy. We are trying to create wealth. Without roads, of course, sometimes, you have your produce, but before you move them to the marketplace, they are all rotten.

“But we also expect that when these roads are completed those who are going to use them will also take care of the infrastructure,” he added.

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (rtd), has said that his administration is committed to fixing most of the vandalised infrastructure

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Warri Federal Constituency: INEC Presents Delineation Report to Delta Ethnic Groups

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend presented the report on the delineation of wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State to the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo ethnic nationalities.

The fresh ward and polling unit delineation fieldwork was prompted by the Supreme Court judgment of 2022, which had ordered INEC to conduct the exercise.

The report was presented to representatives of the ethnic groups by the INEC State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Sir Etekamba Udo Umoren, at the stakeholders meeting convened for the presentation of the report of the fieldwork towards the implementation of the aforementioned Supreme Court order, held in Asaba, the state capital.

Copies of the delineation report were received by Chief Victor Okumagba, Dr. Andrew Igban, and Dr Joe Bisina on behalf of the Urhobo, Itsekiri, and Ijaw ethnic nationalities, respectively.

In his address during the meeting, the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, noted that the meeting was the fifth engagement with the stakeholders since the 2nd December 2022 apex court verdict, which mandated the Commission to carry out the exercise in the three local government areas in the Warri federal constituency.

The INEC Chairman, who was represented by INEC’s National Commissioner overseeing Cross River, Delta, and Edo states, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, urged the stakeholders to study the report and respond to it appropriately as the commission was ready to adopt the report as a working document in line with the Supreme Court directive.

Prof Yakubu said, “We recall that, in our last engagement meeting on the 8th of July, 2024 in Warri Federal Constituency, we concluded all discussions with stakeholders and made a promise to commence the fieldwork of the wards in the above-mentioned constituency. The Commission has carried out the exercise, which took place between 10th to 27th July 2024.

“On the other hand, the entire people of the Warri Federal Constituency played their role as committed citizens.”

While expressing gratitude “to the Governor of Delta State who provided the enabling environment for this exercise”, the INEC Chairman expressed appreciation for the presence of the community representatives, saying it was a demonstration of their confidence in the Commission as an unbiased electoral umpire.

In his remarks, the INEC Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Sir Umoren, described the event as significant “because it speaks to the determination, resilience, and unity of purpose of all concerned to move beyond the Supreme Court Judgement delivered on 2nd December 2022, to where we are today.

He thanked the INEC Chairman for providing the necessary leadership, and the regional coordinator for successfully overseeing the exercise to a logical conclusion.

“The report of the fieldwork is a critical cornerstone towards the Implementation of the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State.

“Before we arrived at this point, a stakeholders’ meeting was first held at the INEC Delta State Office in Asaba on 15 February 2023, followed by the expanded stakeholders’ meeting, which was held also in Asaba on 21st March 2024.

“The third stakeholders’ meeting was held in Warri, Warri South LGA, headquarters of Warri Federal Constituency, on 8th July 2024 before the commission’s men and materials were deployed to commence the fieldwork exercise from 10th -27th July 2024.

Nonetheless, THISDAY gathered that under the fresh delineation fieldwork report for Warri North Local Government Area, the Ijaw has 10 of the 18 wards while Itsekiri has eight wards; for Warri South-West, Ijaw has 15 Wards to Itsekiri’s four we; and in Warri South, Ijaw has three wards out of the 20 Wards while Itsekiri and Urhobo have eight and nine wards, respectively.

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend presented the report on the delineation of wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State