Kwara Assembly moves to resolve crisis rocking state Water Corporation

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus

Kwara State House of Assembly has commenced moves to resolve the crisis rocking the state Water Corporation to further enhance its service delivery to the people of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this development followed a motion on matter of general public importance moved by Hon. Halidu Danbaba (APC-Kaiama/Kemaji/Wajibe) at plenary on Tuesday.

Danbaba, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, said investigations revealed that there was an industrial dispute between members of staff and the management of the corporation.

He said that the corporation’s General Manager, Mr Shehu Umar, had been in acting capacity for more than four years, with staff members leveling some allegations bordering on corruption against him.

The lawmaker appealed to the assembly to look into the matter and get it resolved so that the residents would not be made to face water scarcity due to the looming strike.

In his submission, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Raphael Adetiba (APC-Oke-Ero) said that the matter was a serious one which should not be swept under the carpet.

He said looking into the matter would make the stakeholders realise that government was aware of the crisis and was ready to find lasting solutions.

Other lawmakers, who spoke on the matter, called for the appointment of a substantive general manager in order to restore normalcy to the crisis-ridden corporation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the assembly unanimously agreed that it was high time an amicable resolution was found to the crisis so that government’s huge investment in the corporation would not go down the drain.

Consequently, the Speaker, Salihu Yakub-Danladi, directed the House Committee on Water Resources to investigate the matter and submit its report on May 11.

NAN recalls that the aggrieved workers, The workers, under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), had, on April 27, passed a vote of no confidence in the acting general manager.

Some of the allegations leveled against him included: intimidation, bad administration, sabotaging government’s effort in the on-going rehabilitation of water facilities, poor staff welfare and poor working environment.

(NAN)