Communiqué issued at the end of a 3-day Retreat by Labour and Civil Society on the Water Sector Reform Process in Nigeria.

A three day retreat organized by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) with the Support  of the Sub regional office of Public Services International  (PSI) was held in Pyramid Hotel, Calabar, Cross Rivers State, in South South Nigeria, January 11-13, 2008.

 

The retreat which brought together leadership of the AUPCTRE from several states in Nigeria, Community groups and NGOs representatives was on the theme ‘Water Sector Reform: Need for collaborative action between Labour and the Civil society”

 

Welcoming participants Comrade Sylvester Ejiofor,  General Secretary of the AUCPTRE- the trade union comprising workers in Nigeria water sectors, said the retreat provided a platform for critical discourse by Labour and Civil Society on going structural changes in Nigeria’s water sector.

 

He lamented the failure of Public Water Utilities to provide safe and adequate water services to citizens, saying this has given rise to the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes by individual households.

 

‘Nigeria has the largest number of boreholes, largest brands of sachet and bottled water in the world because of the failure of public water supply systems. Yet these alternatives are not sustainable options of water supply. For instance, the average life span of boreholes is between 8-10 years’, said Ejiofor.

 

Adding that: ‘We must raise public consciousness on the state of Water sector in Nigeria, and get the Water Utilities running again under an efficient public management’.

 

Also welcoming participants, Mr. Babatope Babalobi, the Director of the Bread of Life Dev. Foundation, a Lagos based NGO said the poor performances of Public water Utilities is as result of non prioritization of Water sector by national and state governments, declining public investment over the years, and deliberate mismanagement of some public water utilities, which he described as an odious strategy of making them attractive for Privatisation.

 

Saying that National and state governments must assume primary responsibility for delivery water services to the people  to achieve the  Water and Sanitation MDG in Nigeria, Babalobi advocated for ‘strategic partnerships and stronger ties between Labour and civil society to  oppose water privatization in Nigeria’. He therefore called on members of the AUCPTRE to use its national spread and numerical strength to drive forward the campaign against water privatization in Nigeria.

 

Participants in the retreat in Plenary and Group sessions discussed on the state of water sector reform in Nigeria; follow actions on the communiqué issued at a meeting between Labour and Civil Society on Water Sector reform in Ota, Ogun State, last year; the outcome of the African Water Network meeting in Johannesburg last November, World Water Day 2008, and the draft National Water Resources Bill.

 

Resolutions of the Retreat are as follows:

 

  1. Thanking the PSI for providing the funds to organize the Retreat, participants resolved that the AUPCTRE should explore internal sources to finance similar activities in the future to ensure that the anti water privatization process in Nigeria is not donor driven or donor dependent.
  2. Noting that the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) which is the umbrella organization of workers in Nigeria’s Water Sector is strategically positioned to act as a vanguard of anti- water privatization campaign in Nigeria; participants resolved that the AUPCTRE should be  more proactive in its programming on Water Sector Reform process in Nigeria, and empower its State Chapters to tackle the monster of water privatization.
  3. Observing the need to educate  the rank and file of its members on Water Sector Reform related issues, participants resolved that the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) should strengthen its Research department to be able to conduct studies on Water issues and also create Technical Commissions on water issues.
  4. Lamenting the poor state of Public Water Utilities in Nigeria, particularly in Nigeria’s richest state-Rivers States where paradoxically the Public Water Utility is non functional and operational, Participants resolved to initiate actions such as Campaigns, Visits, and Letter Writing addressed to State Governments and Legislators to ensure increased prioritization and funding of the Water Utilities.
  5. Noting that the activities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Water Board, Abuja is not yet backed by law, participants called on the relevant agencies to ensure the enactment of appropriate laws in this regard to safeguard the interest of the workers and public.
  6. Observing that the bane of most Public Water Utilities in Nigeria is poor management, participants advocate that Public Water Utilities should be made efficient through the recruitment of competent staff, and ensuring that they are independent and autonomous of the civil service structure. To ensure and guarantee this, we call on the authorities to introduce appropriate legal framework.
  7. Noting that Water is primarily a Social good, but in some respects also an economic good, Participants support the commercialization of the Public Water Boards, in order to increase their efficiency in service delivery to low income earners, middle income earners,  high income earners as well as commercial premises/bottling companies.
  8. Noting the need to achieve the water and sanitation MDG in Nigeria through direct government involvement, participants reject all forms of water privatization including introduction of management contracts, and prepaid metres in Lagos, Cross Rivers States as well as in the  Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
  9. For the avoidance of doubt, we stand for efficient, quasi commercial and publicly owned water agencies that are autonomous of the public service, whose management boards will reflect relevant stakeholders- trade unions, community groups, relevant NGOs and Consumers.
  10. Noting the need for a National broad based coalition of labour, NGO, community, and consumers groups to oppose water privatization and prepaid metres in Nigeria, and taking into cognizance of the information provided by one of the participating bodies ( Bread of Life Dev. Foundation) of the existence of the National Civil Society Coalition on Water and Sanitation,  presently performing this role, participants resolved to create a Nigeria Water Network, as a local chapter of the African Water Network.
  11. Noting that the Federal Ministry of Agricultures and Water Resources (FMAWR) with the support of the European Commission  (EC)is presently organizing National Consultations of the draft National Water Bill without the involvement of main stakeholders such as the AUPCTRE and NGOs in these consultations; Participations resolved to write letters to FMWR and EC; as well as the relevant Committees in the National Assembly  on the need to involve and mainstream the views  of the civil society in the preparation of a draft National Water Resources bill.
  12. Noting that March 22, 2008 is marked globally as the World Water day, Participants decided to organize a series of activities around this day including a  Symposium on the draft National Water Resources Bill, a National Press Conference, and rallies against water privatization at state levels.
  13. Noting that the Lagos State Water Corporation had invited bids for the dredging of Adiyan River in Ogun State without complying with extant laws which mandates it to publicly disclose an Environmental Impact Assessment on this project, Participants resolved to take action in this regard to ensure compliance with laws. Towards achieving this, it will with relevant NGOs and Environmental protection bodies  to protect the economic livelihoods of 250 communities within the terrain of the River Adiyan

 

 

For Labour:

 

Comrade Sylvester Ejiofor

General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE)

aupctre1954@yahoo.com

 

 

 

For Civil Society:

 

Babatope Babalobi

Director, Bread of Life Development Foundation

blfnigeria@yahoo.com

 

January 13, 2008