Residents of Ketu Local Government have lashed out at the Lagos state government over its inability to provide constant potable water for the council since 1999, when the country returned to democratic system of government.

The residents lamented that the state government has abandoned them to their fate despite their compliance to law and order-payment of Land Use Charge, LUC and other dues to the state government.

Our correspondent gathered that the most hit were residents of Alapere and Igbo-nla axis of the council, where there was no evidence of government tap or future plan to construct such.

They however appealed to the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola who has less than a year in office, to intervene in the lack of potable water that had hit the council, saying that this is the only way the government can bring the dividend of democracy to their door steps.

The residents complained that they rely on water from either unhygienic boreholes or from water vendors better known as Mai-ruwa for their daily water needs.

They explained that lack of public water facilities had resulted to the proliferation of private boreholes, wells and continuous engagement of the Mai-ruwa services to meet their daily demand for water.

Sources said that larger percent of these private facilities lack the good treatment plants to turn the sourced water into drinkable one because they had shallow depth. And do not have the financial capacity to procure the required water treatment plants, forcing them to use it.

Vanguard gathered that few areas that had laid water pipes experienced unstable water supply, thus forcing them to wait for water distributors or settle for sachet water.

When our correspondent approached a resident of the Alapere, Mrs. Mary Olatunbosun on how the state government had helped in providing their daily water needs, she replied angrily, ”We do not have access to public water facility here, either from the Federal or state government. We source for water daily and this is done individually.

“And daily, the state government boasts of providing water to the public through their water works in Iju and Adiyan water works. But to our surprise, we have none to drink in our community.”

115 million gallons of water

Vanguard learnt that both water works produce 115 million gallons of water per day and they are powered by an Independent Power Plant, IPP.‘

Mrs. Olabisi Akanbi emphasised; “Let’s not muddle up responsibilities, the government ought to provide portable water for its citizens and not the water vendors-they operate for profit. So the government should try and improve on the accessibility and availability of water supply to its citizens.”

Mr. Christiana Solomon, appealed to governor Fashola, to direct the Lagos State Water Corporation, LSWC to improve on their water supply to the residents.

Solomon explained “we have public tap but it is not functioning effectively. Sometimes, we do not have water. All we do is to trek long distance to source for water if those who have borehole deny us access to their facility.”

Speaking to the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, LSWC, Engineer Shayo Holloway, said that the state government has a master plan to ensure that all residents of the state have access to portable water.