Agboola Barakah and Oyebamiji Taiwo were among the pupils who were assigned to fetch water from wells near the school during break time – a period for playing, eating, and resting. However, this period serves none of these purposes for most female pupils in Primary 6 at the Local Authority School, Popo, Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area (LGA) in Osun State. The period is designated for fetching water to the school.
“During the rainy season, the well from which we fetch water is not far from here. However, it is difficult to get water during the dry season. We walk far away from the school before we get water and, at times, the water is not clean enough. About six female pupils are assigned to fetch water during breaktime and we do that twice everyday so as to have enough water for use,” Barakah stated.
Taiwo added that they fetch water during breaktime for the office, classrooms and toilets for drinking and sanitation respectively, to maintain good hygiene.
Faridah Afeez, 8, a primary 3 pupil of the school, corroborated her seniors when she explained that she was one of the pupils that fetched water from hand dug well into buckets placed in each classroom in the school for the purpose of drinking. She also said most of the time, they fetch water to use the restroom.
“Asides from fetching water to classrooms, we provide water to the toilets too. There are three toilets, each with a squatting pan in the school and a big bucket to fetch water outside.”
Water is essential for human existence, and it helps to maintain a sanitary environment, hygiene and students’ health in schools. According to the United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF), poor sanitation in Nigeria contributes to increased morbidity and mortality rate among children and the use of contaminated water exposes children to waterborne diseases and kills about 70,000 of them annually.
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 6 – Clean water and Sanitation – the World Bank estimates that Nigeria need to triple its budget or allocate at least 1.7% of its total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). To reduce this mortality rate and encourage good hygiene in schools, there is a need for easy access of water, for drinking, sanitation and other domestic use.
In November 2023, it appeared that the authorities had decided to do something about the water situation at the Local Authority School in Iragbiji and save the children the hassle of fetching water during school hours, as a contract was awarded for the installation of a borehole.
According to information obtained from Govspend, the Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) paid the sum of N8, 905, 947 to Penuelinks Energies Limited on November 5, 2023 for the drilling of a solar powered borehole at the school. On the same date, the same company was paid a sum of N8, 905, 054 for drilling of another solar powered borehole at St. Philips primary school, Otan, Boluwaduro LGA.
Each contract specified the provision of a six-panel solar system. However, the contractor delivered a 3-panel borehole to St. Philips Primary School while the project is yet to be executed at L. A. Primary School.
Three-Solar Panel Borehole instead of 6-solar Panel
A visit to St. Philips Primary School, Otan, revealed that only three panels were installed to power the borehole instead of the six on the project description and the signage. The headteacher of the school, who simply gave his name as Mr Adediran F.A., stated that the borehole was drilled last year, and it has been beneficial to the schools and the community at large.
“This water project has been done since last year and it is working perfectly. Before it was drilled, the main source of water supply to the school was well after the handpump borehole stopped working in 2022. Since last year, potable water has been accessible to the pupils and teachers of the school. The community also benefits from it.”
“An additional advantage of this water project is that it is a solar-powered borehole and therefore does not require electricity to pump water to the tanks, though we have a 3-solar panel, not 6-solar panel as stated on the signage,” he added.
The Borehole Water Ease the Stress of Fetching from Well – Otan Residents
Mrs Adewumi Kehinde, a young woman who lives opposite the school said the water from the borehole in the school has brought ease to the residents of the community.
“The borehole has been helpful since it was drilled, not only to the pupils but also people who live close to the school including my household. Before, we drew water from a well and at times it caused chest pain. So, it has eased the stress, and the school Authority has not for once locked it or stopped people from fetching, even when the school is on holiday.
Mrs Bimpe Animashaun, who sells fabric about 50 meters from the school, told this reporter that though most people in the community have wells dug in front of their houses, the ease enjoyed from fetching potable water from the borehole water cannot be overlooked.
Apparently, for members of the community, they did not know or care that the project was supposed to be a six panel solar powered borehole. All that mattered was that they had a borehole that was working and providing them water.
Unexecuted Project at Local Authority Primary School, Popo, iragbiji
However, if the people of Otan were shortchanged, the story in Popo, Iragbiji is worse. They have nothing to show for a water project.
In an interview with the headteacher of Local Authority (LA) school at Popo, Iragbiji, Mrs Afolabi Olubunmi, she denied knowledge of a borehole project as nothing has been done in the school. She stated that the borehole in front of the school had stopped working a long time ago and it was of little benefit to the school while it was working.
“I haven’t heard about any new water projects. The borehole in front of the school was donated by a popular balm seller in the community known as Ero Arike about three to four years ago and it is no longer working. Moreover, it was drilled for the community but on the school land. When it was working, it was of little advantage to the school because the community did not cooperate with us. They stopped the pupils from fetching water, but at times we fought our way to get water from there,” Olubunmi said.
She further explained that she has saddled some pupils in Primary 6 with the responsibility of providing water for use in the school. “Pupils in the school source water from wells around the school area. I bought a drawer for them and assigned some students to fetch water during break time,” she stated. Otherwise, there is no other way that the school would have water, she stated.
These pupils fetch water to the classrooms in the school, toilet and the headteacher’s office. The head teacher described this act as stressful for the children. She also lamented that during dry season, the well water fetched by the student is dirty, nothing that this could pose health challenges for the pupils.
“During the dry season, water sources from wells are very dirty and, most times, I force them to throw it away. Most people in the community lock their wells during the dry season, making it difficult for pupils to access water easily. I was shocked at the water they were drinking during one of the dry seasons and I ordered the water to be thrown away,” she said.
In conclusion, Mrs Olubunmi told the reporter that though a bucket is placed outside the toilet for flushing, it is not enough.
Plight of Popo Residents
Afeez Omoowo, a parent and resident of Popo Community in Iragbiji, stated that it was risky and dangerous for pupils to fetch water from wells because of their age.
“As you can see, the borehole there is not working again, so the children fetch from well. Whenever I see them, I shout at them because they stand on the concrete covering of the well to fetch from it.”
He also explained that the well water in front of the school was usually dirty and it was mostly used for watching clothes but children did not care, they drink it when thirsty and out of water in their classrooms.
“When the donated borehole was working, we all enjoyed its clean water and easy accessibility but now, the story has changed. Some disobedient pupils drink from that well in their school and this can lead to sickness or being feverish.”
“As a resident of this community, we walk for about 10 mins to fetch from a clean well but the well also dries up during the dry season and our last resort is spring water. Water can also be gotten from a borehole at a nearby mosque for a fee, they charge N50 for each bucket of water fetched,” he added.
An Untraceable Contractor
A search on Ng-check showed that Penuelinks Energies Limited was registered in December 2011 with Adewumi James Segun, Adewumi Penuel, Adewumi Kehinde, Adewumi David Kayode and Adewumi Nike as directors of the company. NG-check is an online website that provides information about registered companies in Nigeria. NG – check’s website indicates that the company is located at Plot 68 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Abuja and it is designated to sell and distribute/deliver petroleum products. It has absolutely nothing to do with construction works.
A visit to the address showed that no company with such a name exists in the location. The address is a three storey building with a mall on the ground floor while the rest of the building was undergoing renovation at the time of the visit.
Further checks on Manpower Nigeria showed another address – Plot D2 Gado Nasko Road, Phase 2 Site 1, Kubwa Abuja. Manpower Nigeria is a platform that shows the local directory of companies and places in Nigeria. A visit to the new address revealed that the landmark – phase 2, site 1 – is a portion of plot D2, a wide area in Kubwa. “Plot D2 used to be the name of this area of Kubwa. However that name is no longer in use. The new nomenclature of this place is Phase 2, Site 1 within the are formerly known as plot D2,” a shop owner in the area stated.
Frantic search for Penuelinks Energies Limited within Phase 2, site 1 however yielded no positive result as it could not be found amidst the shops and residential buildings in the area. Shop owners also denied knowledge of the existence of the company in the area.
Osun/Ogun RBDA Reject FOI Request
Several attempts to contact the OORBDA, the agency that awarded the project were fruitless. On December 2, 2024 a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority headquarters in Abeokuta, Ogun State, through DHL courier service. Bit the agency rejected the letter, with an excuse that the document was not complete. It did not state what was incomplete in the letter. However, the Freedom of Information Act 2011 does not require submission of additional documents with the request letter.
On December 9, 2024, another FOIA request was submitted to the agency’s area office in Osogbo, Osun State. The Administrative Officer, Najeem Lawal, received the letter and told the reporter all directives come from the Ministry of Water resources in Abuja and the letter should be submitted there. However, he told the reporter he had sent a copy of the letter to the OORBDA office in Abeokuta. No response has however been received from the Agency.
Anti Corruption Expert Reacts
Anthony Adejuwon, the Team Lead of Urban Alert, an Osogbo-based Civil Society Organization, while reacting to the rejection of the FOIA request by the agency condemned the action and enjoined the citizens to take legal actions.
“The Freedom of Information Act is explicit on issues like this. Organizations have the right to sue any agency of government that refuses to respond to FOIA letters within seven days. However, these rogue agencies seem to have become notorious for declining letters, which is even against administrative procedures.
It is time for Nigerians to put the FOI Act into test by instituting class actions against deviant MDAs.”
He concluded that it will be difficult to build a working society when public offices hide information for its citizens, especially when it comes to transparency and accountability matters.
This investigation is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting