By Agbonkhese Oboh

Community advocates and campaigners in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State stormed the Epe campaign office of Mr. Olusegun Olulade, representing Epe Constituency II in Lagos State House of Assembly, with a petition, asking him to side with them in their demands to keep Lagos water public and for government to rehabilitate Epe Mini Waterworks.

The protesters, on the platform of Epe Community Water Parliament, ECWP, an affiliate of Our Water, Our Right Coalition, displayed placards with inscriptions such as “No to PPP,” “Repair Epe Waterworks,” “Water for Epe People” among others, said Epe people unanimously reject water privatisation as only rehabilitation of the waterworks can reduce their suffering, especially of women who have to go long distances to get water at huge costs.

In the petition to Olulade, the group asked him to side with them on their demands for the rehabilitation of the Epe Mini-Waterworks, a halt to concession of Lagos water infrastructure with transnational corporations and that the Akinwunmi Ambode administration fully uphold the human right to water as an obligation of the government.

Mr. Adesanya Oguntimirin, ECWP Coordinator, claimed that beside the anti-people nature of privatisation, the three companies showing interest in Lagos model of water privatisation have been found wanting across the globe on issues of human rights and corruption.

Speaking in solidarity with the community people, Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said ERA/FoEN supports the protest march and petition to Mr. Olulade.

He said: “We anticipate that the representative of the Epe people will hearken to the demands of his people and side with them to demand a halt to PPP and concessioning of the future of our people to for-profit-only entities.”