A political pressure group, Watchdogs for Good Governance, has accused Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of deliberately undermining public water supply in Oyo State despite billions of naira allegedly budgeted for the sector since 2019.
The group also alleged that the administration converted a strategic state water reservoir at Agodi, along Old Ife Road in Ibadan, into a shopping complex, describing the development as evidence of the government’s misplaced priorities.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its Convener, Ahmed Adeyemo, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday, the group said the Oyo State Water Corporation had been allowed to deteriorate while residents were left to fend for themselves through boreholes, wells and water vendors.
It questioned why a public water asset would be converted to commercial use at a time when access to potable water remains a major challenge across the state.
“The conversion of a state water reservoir to a shopping complex is a slap in the face of the good people of Oyo State,” the group said.
According to Watchdogs for Good Governance, the development has serious implications for public health and environmental sustainability because residents increasingly depend on privately drilled boreholes in the absence of reliable public water supply.
‘Where did the water money go?’
The group’s central allegation is that the collapse of public water supply cannot be explained by a lack of government funding.
Adeyemo challenged the Makinde administration to publish audited accounts of expenditure on the water sector over the past seven years and explain what happened to the billions of naira appropriated for water projects.
“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 argued that the continued absence of dependable public water supply raises questions about the implementation of successive budgetary allocations.
The group alleged that the situation was not peculiar to Ibadan, claiming that communities across Oyo State had experienced a prolonged decline in public water supply since Makinde assumed office in 2019.
“The Seyi Makinde’s administration has not been able to provide water in any part of Oyo State since 2019, in spite of the billions of naira claimed to have been budgeted and possibly spent,” it alleged.
The group described this as a “manifestation of corruption” in the administration.
Agodi reservoir allegation
The allegation concerning the Agodi facility forms one of the most striking aspects of the group’s criticism.
Watchdogs accused the government of converting what it described as a strategic state water reservoir at Agodi into a shopping complex.
It demanded an explanation from the governor over the decision, asking what challenges confronted the Water Corporation and why existing public infrastructure could not be rehabilitated instead of being converted.
“What challenges was the Corporation facing that could not be addressed without destroying existing public infrastructure?” Adeyemo asked.
The group described the alleged conversion as “unfortunate, insensitive and a monumental fraud that must be questioned.”
It said residents who once depended on public water infrastructure had increasingly been forced to invest their own money in boreholes to meet a basic need that should ordinarily form part of the government’s public-service responsibilities.
‘Past governments built and maintained’
Watchdogs also invoked the record of previous administrations, arguing that successive governments had invested in expanding and rehabilitating Oyo’s water infrastructure.
The group specifically mentioned the administrations of former governors Rashidi Ladoja, Adebayo Alao-Akala and Abiola Ajimobi.
It said those administrations undertook major rehabilitation and expansion projects involving the Asejire and Eleyele water treatment plants, which it said significantly improved water production capacity for Ibadan and adjoining communities.
“They built and maintained. This administration destroys and converts,” the group said.
It questioned what would have been left for the present administration to develop if previous governments had disposed of public infrastructure in the manner it alleged against the Makinde administration.
Boreholes, health and environmental concerns
Beyond the political argument, the group warned that the collapse of public water supply could have wider consequences.
It said the growing dependence on privately dug wells and boreholes could create environmental and public-health risks if groundwater extraction is not properly regulated.
According to the group, indiscriminate drilling could increase the risk of groundwater contamination and contribute to other environmental problems, including land subsidence.
It accused the administration of replacing essential public infrastructure with projects it described as cosmetic.
“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,” the statement said.
“Water is life. You cannot replace water with a shopping complex.”
Group promises further scrutiny
Watchdogs for Good Governance said the controversy would not end with the present administration.
It vowed that the incoming administration in May 2027 would be expected to scrutinise the government’s financial records and investigate questions surrounding expenditure on water infrastructure.
“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 group said.
It maintained that Oyo residents deserved explanations for the continued dependence on boreholes and other private sources despite years of government budgetary provisions for potable water.
