By joshua KONGONET DEMANDS INDEPENDENT PROBE OF WATERWORKS EQUIPMENT AUCTIONS IN ANKPA, ISANLU AND DEKINA–ANYIGBA
The Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET), a coalition of civil society organisations in Kogi State, expresses grave concern over the reported auctioning and proposed removal of public waterworks equipment in parts of the State, even as citizens continue to face unreliable access to safe, affordable water.
Public water facilities are essential social assets purchased and maintained with public resources. Any decision to classify them as obsolete, sell them or remove their components must be supported by lawful authority, independent engineering assessment, transparent valuation and demonstrable protection of the public interest.
In July 2024, media reports described a disputed auction of equipment at the Dekina–Anyigba/Ajetachi water facilities. The Commissioner for Water Resources reportedly said he was seeking documents and conducting due diligence on a transaction said to have originated under a preceding administration. In September 2026, residents and community representatives also questioned proposed equipment removals from the Isanlu Water Scheme in Yagba East LGA.
Ankpa must equally be investigated. A September 2026 civil society report cited a Ministry of Water Resources letter dated 21 September 2026 and a purported equipment schedule that included Akwu Water Works in Ankpa LGA, reportedly listing a 100 kVA generator and overhead tank among proposed disposals. Separately, the Ankpa Local Government chairman reportedly inspected the abandoned Ankpa Waterboard site and urged the protection and recovery of its equipment. The original letter, inventory, condition assessments, sale authorisations and any actual removals have not been independently verified by KONGONET.
These matters require rigorous investigation, but the reports alone do not establish that every disposal was unlawful, that a particular person committed a crime, or that the auctions caused all water interruptions. Power failures, ageing infrastructure, vandalism, maintenance gaps and financial constraints also require examination. What matters is an accurate account of assets, decisions, funds and their consequences for service delivery.
For households, public water system failures can mean extra spending on water vendors, long journeys to collect water, missed working hours, and greater exposure to unsafe water. KONGONET acknowledges the State Government’s October 2026 announcement of emergency rehabilitation at Greater Lokoja Water Works; citizens now need measurable restoration timelines across affected communities.
KONGONET THEREFORE DEMANDS:
1. Protection of public assets. Immediately secure disputed waterworks equipment and records at Akwu/Ankpa, Isanlu and Dekina–Anyigba, and suspend further removal where legally permissible until an independent inventory is completed.
2. Disclosure within 14 days. Publish relevant auction and disposal approvals, the reported September 2026 letter and schedules, engineering reports, valuations, bidding documents, buyers, payments and evidence of remittance to government accounts.
3. Independent inquiry. The Kogi State House of Assembly should convene a public hearing supported by qualified engineers and auditors; inspect each affected scheme; interview officials and communities; and determine whether officials improperly designated recoverable equipment as scrap.
4. Water supply restoration. The government should provide interim safe water to vulnerable communities and, within 30 days, issue a funded rehabilitation plan with site-specific milestones, water-quality testing, and monthly public reporting for Ankpa, Isanlu, Dekina–Anyigba, and Greater Lokoja.
5. Recovery and prosecution where warranted. Where investigators establish forged records, unlawful disposal, collusion, diverted proceeds, theft or other offences, refer evidence to the appropriate anti-corruption or law-enforcement agencies and the Attorney-General for lawful prosecution, recovery and restitution, with full due-process protection.
6. Permanent public oversight. Establish a public water-infrastructure asset register, publish service reliability and water-production data, mandate periodic technical audits and include residents and civil society in monitoring public water assets and rehabilitation contracts.
KONGONET calls on the Governor, Kogi State House of Assembly, Ministry of Water Resources, Water Board, and competent investigative authorities to treat these concerns as matters of public health, public finance, and citizens’ dignity.
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Hamza Ibrahim Aliyu
Chairperson, Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET)
Media enquiries: kongonet@gmail.com | +234 803 3177 259