Lagos: AUPCTRE Flays Privatisation Of Water Supply

The leadership of
Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) has kicked against the proposed plan to privatise water supply in Lagos State by the state government.
In a statement by the union President and Secretary-General respectively, Comrade Adelegan Solomon, and Yusuf Zambuk in Lagos on Wednesday  said only five per cent of people in Lagos receive water in their houses, taps are often dry; sanitation totally non-existent, stressing that hospitals are full of people suffering diarrhea and other water-related diseases.
The union explained that delivery of safe water supply is now a global challenge and the sole responsibility of a responsible government.
The union said over a billion people today do not have safe water to drink, thereby posing global challenge of epic proportions to people.
The union’s statement said “Globally, nationally and locally, governments face a tremendous challenge of finding the political will to deliver safe and clean water to their communities”. They said Lagos remains a major city in the global south where investment on water supplies is desperately needed stressing that the state government, effort through the public private partnership aimed at providing safe water over the past years had failed to yield positive result.
The union said there is no consensus on where the answer lies in private management of water supply in Lagos, stressing that it is believed the answer still lies with public ownership of water management in view of its importance.
The union said it will partner with other stakeholders, including the civil society allies to fight and block the proposed plan of water supply privatisation in Lagos.
The union urged elected representatives of the people to ensure that they deliver on their obligations and commitment to the people that elected them than to formulate policies that will threaten their existence.