By Agbonkhese Oboh
The Our Water, Our Right Coalition has commended the 23 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, CBC, and Congressional Progressive Caucus, CPC, who wrote a solidarity letter siding with Lagos citizens in their struggle against water privatisation.
Reacting to a solidarity letter from some members of both caucuses, Our Water, Our Right Coalition said they have shown their commitment to pro-people causes through the letter. There was a similar letter of support from half of the CBC members in 2015.
In a statement in Lagos, ERA/FoEN Deputy Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said: “Privatisation is not the answer for Lagos just like it is not the answer for Pittsburgh and cities across the US. We call on the Lagos State government to end its anti-democratic pursuit of privatisation and invest in public solutions.”
In the statement signed by Mr. Philip Jakpor, Head of ERA/FoEN Media & Campaigns, Oluwafemi thanked leaders in the U.S. for their continued support, adding that “we must band together to oppose this corporate grab of our water from Lagos State to Pennsylvania.”
Also, expressing support for the Lagos campaign, Shayda Naficy, Senior Programme Director at Corporate Accountability, said: “Around the globe, the human right to water is under threat and people of colour, low income communities and people in the Global South bear the brunt and are having to defend their rights in the face of disproportionate impacts.
“Whether it is at the World Bank or Michigan Legislature, this fundamental right must be upheld. The best way to do that is to keep water systems democratically accountable and in public hands.”
The renewed support from the CBC and CPC members comes just one week after a delegation of Nigerian legislators led by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, met with members of CBC.
The Our Water Our Right Coalition have alerted that the new privatisation plans could involve foreign companies, all with global records of human rights abuses, that have been implicated in the Flint and Pittsburgh water crisis in the US.
Recall that in May 11 World Bank Executive Directors visited Lagos and met the state government’s officials, who called for the Bank’s support on water projects.
Later same month, evidence emerged that despite years of opposition from people, unions and environmental groups, the state government was moving ahead with at least five water privatisation projects that could privatise nearly 60 percent of Lagos water system.
The CBC and CPC letter of solidarity draws from three US examples—Detroit, Flint and Pittsburgh— where the prioritisation of system finances over access has led to major issues such as raised rates, shut off of water access for tens of thousands, dangerous lead crises and even drew the concern of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to water.
The letter read in part: “While we cannot all be experts on the distinct water access challenges facing each of the world’s cities, we share your concerns that a move towards privatisation of the water system in Lagos, including through public-private partnerships, could leave the city vulnerable to the negative impacts historically associated with various forms of water privatisation, including rate hikes, unaffordable service, inequitable access, worker layoffs, service interruptions, and failures to adequately invest in infrastructure.
“Privatisation also introduces significant governance challenges that can erode democratic control and oversight, including the government’s ability to regulate in the public interest.”