Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa CAPPA, has denounced the unjust reality that over 400 million people across Africa including Nigeria still lack access to safe drinking water.
In his statement, the executive director of CAPPA Akinbode Olufemi said that the relentless pursuit of commodifying public resources at the expense of community welfare, has led to the deterioration of vital public utilities and social services.
“This year’s theme, ‘Water for peace’ underscores the critical necessity of water for human survival and societal stability. In Nigeria alone, a staggering 113 million people suffer from painful hardship and crippling deprivation of water.”
“While this plight is widespread across the country, the situation in Lagos State is particularly alarming for us. Despite the state’s reputation as a lodestar and mega-city over 8 million of its residents equivalent to roughly 60 percent of its population grapple with limited access to potable water water”. He said
Akinbode call on the stakeholders to continue creating awareness on the deep-rooted injustice of safe water inaccessibility in the country, rejecting plans of Lagos state aided by the influence of international financial institutions and development agencies.
“We wish to re-emphasize today that only democratic ownership and public control of water services can remedy the deep rooted injustice of water inaccessibility. For emphasis, we categorically reject any plans by the Lagos state, aided by the influence of international financial institutions and development agencies with a pro-privatization stance to outsource it traditional responsibility of providing water to its citizens to business owners”.
Meanwhile, Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition OWORAC seizes the occasion to urge governments at all levels to commit to fulfilling the human right to safe drinking water
OWORAC, a group of civil society organizations, activists, local communities and trade unionists from across Africa, continue to insist that all forms of water privatization and corporate control of water services be rejected.
“Water is more than a commodity, it’s the foundation of peace health and sustainable development in Africa” Sandra Ndang Advocacy Officer, Africa Center for Advocacy, Cameroon.
“Government should channel public funds into public service, not incentives that attract privateers. And, most importantly they must ensure meaningful public participation from communities civil society and workers in the decisions that impact the people’s fundamental human right to water—OWORAC
