The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has expressed deep concern over the collapse of the overhead tank at the newly commissioned Gwara Water Station in Khana Local Government Area.
The probe was necessitated as an overhead water tank at the Gwara Water Project site collapsed just four days after its official commissioning by the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The facility was expected to provide sustainable potable water to the people of Gwara community, but the collapse of the tank has raised serious concerns among residents and stakeholders.
Eyewitnesses reported that the structure gave way suddenly, sending the metal frame and tank crashing down.
Fortunately, no casualties have been reported; however, the incident has sparked widespread disappointment and frustration among community members, who are now questioning the quality of work and materials used in the construction of the tank.
Sequel to this, the President of the Ogoni Business Owners in America, Anthony Waadah, has demanded the immediate arrest and sack of the Minister of Environment, the HYPREP Project Coordinator, and the contractor responsible for the collapsed water facilities.
Waadah described the incident as a national embarrassment and a monumental fraud against the Ogoni people, alleging that HYPREP is riddled with corruption and inefficiency.
Waadah also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in HYPREP’s activities and order a comprehensive forensic audit of all its contracts and finances.
He urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies to investigate all companies working with HYPREP, alleging that many of them are fronts owned by cronies, family members, and political allies of those in authority.
Meanwhile, in a press briefing in Port Harcourt, Project Coordination noted that the Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the incident and determine its cause.
The committee, which has already visited the site, is expected to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the likely cause of the collapse, including determining if it is a structural failure or third-party interference, while assuring the public that it will take all necessary steps to restore the damaged facility and ensure that water is reticulated to affected communities.
While addressing newsmen, the Legal Adviser to HYPREP and Vice Chairman of the investigation committee, Mr Gowon Ichibor, said that within the coming days, preliminary findings will be revealed.
He said immediately the committee was inaugurated, they visited the site, adding that another team from the State Ministry of Environment and Works was invited by the PC to investigate the incident.
He said: “On getting to the scene of the incident, we saw broken walls and wreckages. We had to relay it to the PC what we found on the ground, and we didn’t know he was proactive enough to have already invited the Rivers State Ministry of Environment and Engineering to go and investigate. And I am sure by now they will be on the site.
“So, basically speaking as a layman, I feel that technical issues should be addressed technically. What I can say is the fact that I saw wreckages all over the ground. When the engineering team from the state visits and our team meets, I am sure we will have something better to tell the public. From now till Friday, our findings will be known.”
Also speaking, the Head of HYPREP Communication, Dr Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, emphasised HYPREP’s commitment to delivering quality projects that meet best standards and do not compromise on quality assurance and control, including the engagement of a project consultant, supervision from the monitoring and evaluation unit, and water supervisors.
According to him: “To date, 16 water stations have been commissioned, supplying water to over 40 communities, with some having been in operation for over two years.
“HYPREP has also adopted robust sustainability plans to ensure that the water projects continue to serve communities. These plans include the constitution of Water Consumers Associations, construction of solar farms for alternative power supply, and training of laboratory staff. Each water project has a laboratory to ensure that water supplied to communities meets World Health Organization standards.”
