Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan
Oyo has described as false alarm recent media reports that some assets belonging to the Water Corporation have been sold illegally.
Chairman, Water Corporation of Oyo State, Dr. Adebayo Adepoju, said the reports were plots to tarnish the state.
The 2019 governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Akeem Alao, had alleged illegal sale of the assets via an online publication.
But Adepoju stated: “The attention of the management and staff of the Water Corporation of Oyo State has been drawn to an online publication made by a chieftain of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) on the alleged illegal sale of Water Corporation pipes.
“While the corporation refutes the claim in its entirety, it has become extremely important to keep the public well-informed.
“A few months ago, a committee was set up to audit all the assets and take inventory of the corporation’s stock. Its responsibility, among others, was to ascertain and account for all inventory and assets of the corporation for accountability.
“The said pipes had been lying in the swamp for years, so they had to be brought out for proper counting, audit, and accountability. As a result of bringing out these pipes, there was an alarm that the pipes were being taken out for illegal sale.
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“The management had earlier followed up on all information received and moved to properly secure assets.
“Some of the measures put in place include the replacement of the security outfit watching the scheme, the installation of the 24-hour solar powered security surveillance cameras that can be viewed both on-site, in the office and remotely.
“We are also going further to complete the damaged fence of the Asejire scheme. So, the perimeter fence of Asejire scheme is very well secured, and nothing leaves the premises without authorisation.”
Adepoju stated further the administration of Seyi Makinde was committed to providing pipe-borne water to all the citizens of the state and would leave no stone unturned, adding that efforts were on top gear to install hydroelectricity to increase the supply of pipe-borne water in the state to overcome about 60 to 70 percent of the problem the corporation is facing, which, according to him, poor power supply.
