As water shortages continue to affect communities across Kogi State, the Isanlu community in Yagba East Local Government Area has raised concerns over plans to evacuate facilities from its long-abandoned water project, arguing that the infrastructure should be rehabilitated rather than treated as scrap.
Olatunde David Dare, the Mayegun of Isanlu Land and Akogun of Itakete-Ide, said the proposed removal of equipment from the Isanlu water scheme was particularly troubling at a time when many communities were struggling to access reliable potable water.
The Kogi State Government, through the Ministry of Water Resources, is reported to have described the items earmarked for evacuation as “verified scrap metals and decommissioned assets.”
Dare, however, argued that the decision required greater scrutiny, insisting that public infrastructure established to provide essential services should not be disposed of without a clear plan for addressing the needs of the community it was originally designed to serve.
He said the Isanlu water project was constructed in 1983 during the administration of Adamu Attah to provide water to the community.
According to him, the project was funded with public resources and was established for a specific public purpose, making its present condition a matter of public interest.
“For almost two decades, our people have endured the absence of reliable water and electricity,” Dare said, adding that the community expected government to explore ways of restoring the facility rather than removing what remained of the infrastructure.
His position comes amid renewed efforts by the Kogi State Government to address water supply challenges in different parts of the state.
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Yahaya M.D. Farouk, Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, has said the government is committed to improving access to potable water and revitalising existing water infrastructure.
The state government recently announced the rehabilitation and expansion of the New Kabba Water Scheme, with its capacity expected to increase from 500,000 litres to two million litres daily in response to rising demand.
Farouk has also been involved in efforts to revive other water infrastructure, including discussions around the rehabilitation of the Osara Dam and a suspended water supply project serving communities around Itakpe.
The Ministry of Water Resources also opened bids earlier this year for consultants for water projects across the state, with Farouk saying the process was intended to support the selection of competent consultants through a merit-based and competitive process.
Against this backdrop, Dare urged the state government to apply the same emphasis on rehabilitation and improved water access to Isanlu.
He said the fact that an infrastructure had deteriorated after years without adequate maintenance should not automatically mean that all its remaining components had lost their public value.
“If the system is no longer functioning, then the responsibility of government is to explain why, assess what can be salvaged and develop a credible plan for its restoration,” he said.
He maintained that disposing of the equipment without first considering the community’s continuing need for water could further widen the gap between available infrastructure and access to basic services.
Dare also called for transparency in the assessment of the assets, including information on their condition, ownership, estimated value and the reasons they had been classified as scrap.
He said the community was not opposed to government taking legitimate steps to remove unusable materials, but wanted any decision to be guided by the overriding need to provide residents with sustainable access to potable water.
The controversy highlights the broader challenge facing communities where old water schemes have deteriorated while population growth continues to increase demand for potable water.
For Isanlu residents, the community’s concern is that the removal of the remaining facilities could close the door on the possibility of reviving a project originally established to meet their basic water needs.
Dare therefore urged the state government to engage Isanlu stakeholders before taking any irreversible action on the water project, saying dialogue could help determine whether the facility could be rehabilitated, upgraded or integrated into a new water supply scheme.
He said government should view the project not simply as an old collection of equipment, but as public infrastructure whose original purpose remains relevant to residents.
