A political pressure group, Watchdogs for Good Governance raised the alarm over what it described as the total collapse of public water supply in Oyo State, despite billions of naira reportedly allocated to the water sector annually during the nearly seven-and-a-half years of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.
In a statement signed by its convener, Comrade Ahmed Adeyemo, the group said residents had been left to provide water for themselves, with serious consequences for public health and the environment.
The group also expressed concern over what it described as the alleged conversion of a strategic state water reservoir at Agodi, along the Old Ife Road, Ibadan, into a shopping complex, describing the development as “unfortunate, insensitive and a monumental fraud that must be questioned.”
“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,” Adeyemo said.
According to the group, the Oyo State Water Corporation, established in 1977 from the defunct Western Nigeria Water Corporation, provided potable water to Ibadan and other major towns for decades 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.
He challenged the state government to publish audited accounts of the water sector, arguing that budget records for the past seven years showed that billions of naira had been earmarked for water.
“Records are there for sons and daughters of Oyo State to verify. 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 reliance on arbitrary and unregulated digging of wells and boreholes by residents could pose environmental and climatic risks, including groundwater contamination and land subsidence.
Adeyemo compared the situation under the present administration with previous administrations, which it said invested heavily in water infrastructure.
“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, including the upgrading and expansion of the Asejire and Eleyele Water Treatment Plants, which significantly boosted water production capacity for Ibadan metropolis and environs.
“They built and maintained. This administration destroys and converts. If past governors had sold public infrastructure the way Makinde is doing, what would he have been selling today?” the convener said.
He further alleged that the state government had failed to provide public water anywhere in the state since 2019.
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“The Seyi Makinde administration has not been able to provide water in any part of Oyo State since 2019. It is not peculiar to Ibadan only, despite the billions of naira claimed to have been budgeted and possibly spent. This is a clear manifestation of corruption by his administration,” Adeyemo said.
Describing some of the administration’s projects as cosmetic, the group accused the government of lacking an adequate understanding of governance and the capacity to 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 the incoming administration in May 2027 would scrutinise the government’s records.
“Makinde should prepare to answer many questions after handing over to a more progressive government in May 2027. No secret will be left unexposed. The people of Oyo State deserve to know why they are drinking borehole water in 2026 after billions budgeted for clean water,” it said.
