Kwara water corporation workers storm ministry, demand GM’s dismissal

Workers of Kwara State Water Corporation on Monday in Ilorin stormed the Ministry of Water Resources, demanding the dismissal of the Acting General Manager, Engr. Shehu Umar.

The workers, in their numbers, lamented what they described as poor management of the state’s waterworks and decay of infrastructures despite millions of naira invested by the state governor.

While expressing their grievances to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Olarewaju Okanlawon, the workers described the two years tenure of the acting GM as a total failure, adding that he was sabotaging the efforts of the governor to resolve the water problem in the state.

The protesting workers were led by the chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Kwara Unit, Comrade Issa Yusuf and the chairman of the state branch of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Kunle Ogungbe.

They said: “Aside the N4 million monthly running costs the government is providing the corporation, it also gives additional N3.7 million quarterly for spare parts procurement amongst others.

“The reason these huge amounts of money are not improving the provision of water to the populace is the fault of the non-performing management of the corporation, which lacks the will and understanding to align with the vision of his excellency.

“Also on staff welfare, some workers have been bedridden for months without getting a single kobo from the management as support for medical challenges. These have led to several deaths among the staff,” they submitted.

When contacted, the acting GM, Engr Shehu told Daily Trust that he was addressing the staff and would get back to our reporter but didn’t up till the time of filing this report last night.